Sirens and Wolves
by Bluosity
Summary: Suzuki Kazumi doesn't seem to remember her life from before she was four. But it's okay, because she has a new life now. One involved in singing, friends, and... Mafia? Rated T for language, at the very least. Please, be mature. Genre subject to change.
1. I Meet a Madman

**Hello!**

**My name is Bluosity, and this is my first time writing _anything_ for my own pleasure. I realize that my style isn't really complete yet, so I might jump from comical to serious without really knowing what I'm doing. Please bear with me, if you decide to continue reading!**

**This plot just developed spontaneously, and I'm starting without pre-written chapters, so if I decide to continue, updates will be sporadic. Sorry!**

**Hope you enjoy the ramblings (and brain-children) of a high school freshman!**

* * *

_**Sicily, Italy**_

In the square overlooking the sea, life was quiet, as usual. One couple shared chuckles and cuddled as they watched the sunset.

_Click, click, clack_…

The couple broke contact and watched as a diminutive figure strolled over. They continued to stare until the silhouette was out of earshot. Then the man let out his held breath and smirked in triumph. He broke away from the confused woman and stalked after the shadow.

The mysterious figure walked into a dimly lit bar. Two men turned as the door opened and light filtered through, penetrating the dark.

"That you, Reborn?" one man greeted.

The other one asked, "Did the old man call you in again?"

The first man chuckled. "Being popular must be tough. Is it Rome this time? Venice?"

"Japan."

The men turned in their seats, surprised. "Japan?"

"Did the old man finally make up his mind?"

"It's gonna be a long trip," the one called Reborn mused.

Suddenly, a shadow towered over Reborn, and the man from before prepared to take a stab. With equal speed, Reborn turned and pointed a green gun at the man. "This isn't a toy," he warned with a dangerous tone.

The would-be assassin froze and dropped his knife as he bowed in defeat. The threat negated, Reborn opened his hand, and the gun transformed into a skinny reptile, which skittered to his orange-rimmed fedora.

Reborn smirked. It seemed that there were still fools who thought that they could get the better of him. It was too bad—he wasn't the number one hitman in the world for nothing. "My name is the Home Tutor Hitman," he cocked his gun again, "Reborn."

Fear him or die.

* * *

_**Namimori, Japan**_

It all started with a phone call. It wasn't even a phone call from someone suspicious—it was just a simple phone call from a traveling mother.

I was putting on the finishing touches of my skirt when I heard my cell's familiar ring tone. I picked it up from my bed and checked the caller ID.

Huh, it's Mama. Why's she calling now? I flipped the phone open and answered. "Hi, Mama. What's up?"

"Hello, Kazumi," Mama greeted, her soft voice hinting at fatigue. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing well, for living alone," I replied. "Mama, isn't it 2 in the morning over in Italy? Why are you up so late?"

"Ah, well, Papa and I have some business work to do, and we need to finish quickly. Don't worry," she added, "We've been drinking coffee and switching shifts. It's not too bad."

I tied up my hair, looking in the bathroom mirror's reflection, as I chided, "That _is_ bad, Mama. You're the one who taught me that caffeine is bad for you."

"It _is_ bad…for you. But as an adult, I have privileges that you don't," she laughed. Then, in a more serious tone, she continued. "But that's not why I called. I wanted to let you know that a family friend is moving to Namimori, and he might be coming over for a visit. Don't be surprised by his looks, okay?"

"A friend?" I questioned. "Okay, I'll be sure to do that. But why would I be surprised by his looks?"

She hummed. "Mmm… he looks much, much younger than he really is. I should leave it at that."

"A-all right." I glanced at the clock. "Oh, gosh! I've got fifteen minutes to get to class, Mama! I'll have to hang up!"

"I'll call you later!" was all I heard as I closed the phone and scrambled out the door.

"Ah, I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!" I cried as I sprinted down the street. "Kyoko must be annoyed…"

Up ahead, I spotted my friend, crouching in front of a tiny child. Beside them, there was a short boy who looked my age—I think his name was…? Actually, I didn't know his name. "Kyoko!" I called out.

The girl looked up. "Ah! Kazumi-chan!"

I stopped in front of her. "Sorry," I panted. "I got an unexpected phone call, and the time kinda slipped away…"

She shook her head. "It's okay, Kazumi-chan. I was just talking with Sawada-san's little friend."

I glanced down. The baby stared back up at me with large black eyes that gave nothing away. "Uh, hello."

"Ciaossu," the baby squeaked.

"Why are you wearing a suit, little guy?" Kyoko asked.

The baby smiled. "'Cause I'm with the Mafia."

"Wow, so cool!"

Please tell me Kyoko was just humoring the kid. Although, knowing her, she was just as likely to believe it. "Haha, you've sure got an imagination, baby!" I laughed. I wasn't one to go along with kid jokes, unfortunately. I turned to Kyoko. "Anyways, we have to get going, or we'll be late."

Kyoko clapped her hands together. "You're right! We should hurry." She waved good-bye to the baby behind us, as well as to the boy. "We're going to be late for school, so see you later, little guy."

I also turned and waved half-heartedly as I chased after my friend. "See you later!"

"Ciao, ciao~"

Hey, that was Italian. I almost looked back, but decided not to, since we needed to get to school quickly. Still… that was the first time I'd heard Italian in Japan, apart from me and my family.

Maybe I should keep an eye on the kid…

Kyoko and I talked about mundane topics, like the home economics class (in which she was excelling, hands down), when the conversation turned to the Italian baby.

"That was a pretty cool baby, right, Kazumi-chan?" Kyoko giggled.

I smiled back. "Sure was. I wonder why he's here, though?"

"Maybe he's Sawada-san's long lost brother?" Kyoko jokingly suggested.

I laughed pretty hard at that. "Haha, they look nothing alike! Besides, I don't know this…Sawada-san that well, but I've heard from others that he doesn't really joke around about things like the Mafia."

And that he was at the bottom at everything, but everyone exaggerates, right?

Suddenly, I heard feet stamping rapidly and…someone roaring? I turned back again—only to feel myself being tugged away. "Wahhh!"

I managed to crane my head back and take a good look at my kidnapper. He had spiky brown hair and wore nothing but his boxers. What the hell?

"Shoot! I ran right past Kyoko-chan!" The person dragging me shouted. My mind reeled. Why would he be worrying about—holy cheese, we were running into a wall!

"Stop! We're gonna crash!" I shrieked.

The boy merely ignored me and used his legs to push off the wall and change directions—only to continue running. I saw another boy—I could only see short gray hair—who seemed to shout something. I couldn't hear, though, because the crazy dude dragging me along freaking CRASHED INTO A TRUCK and flew through the air.

I screamed and clung to the boy. Between death by splattering on the ground and being pulled along by a madman, I'd rather stick to the boy.

"ROOOOAAAARRRR! That's… NOTHING!" Again, he bounced off a fence and flipped through the air, with no regard for me, the poor passenger. Of course, I couldn't do anything but hug my kidnapper's arms like a koala bear (and scream, but that's a given). An extremely scarred koala bear that was about to die from fear.

It was a long fall, was all I could remember. Nobody could blame me for closing my eyes, right? I thought we'd crash into the ground, looking more like pancakes than people. Instead, I felt a jarring shudder that rattled my eyeballs.

I rolled on my side, feeling like a sheep caught in a tornado—dizzy and tangled in wool. That was the only explanation for why I heard the boy demand, "Sasagawa Kyoko! Please go out with me!" Even through my hazy mind, I still had the clarity to think, who was crazy enough to ask someone out in his boxers?

Naturally, Kyoko, being the innocent girl she was, ran away in embarrassment and fear (who wouldn't? A boy _in only his underwear_ was trying to ask her out. Did I mention he was only in his boxers?). Also just a naturally, one of Kyoko's shining knights in armor (AKA a fanboy) acted all macho and punched the boy in the face, threatening (more like implying, since he only called the dude a pervert) death and worse.

I couldn't move. I was pretty sure I was going through some kind of shock.

"Hieee! There's a person on the ground!" It was the same voice as the one of the person who asked out Kyoko, but not as loud or passionate.

"You drag me along for five minutes and you just notice now?" I grumbled, struggling to sit up. Immediately, I felt dizzy, and I had to lie back down, spitting out Italian curses and trying to stop the world from rolling around me. "Ah. Stop spinning."

"What do I doooooooo?" the boy moaned.

"What are you doing?" came a voice from my right. I managed to turn my head sideways and spot Hibari Kyoya, the head of the Disciplinary Committee. "Class has already started, half-naked boy."

"H-hibari Kyoya-san from the Disciplinary Committee!"

No shit, Sherlock. Who else would come up to you in your pervert-like state and call you out for not being in class?

"As a member of the Discliplinary Committee, I cannot allow…" Kyoya started.

"S-sorry!" Again, without ANY regard for me, the boy picked up his bag and sprinted inside. This totally boosted my ego.

A foot nudged my side. "Herbivore, move. The gates are closing now." When he saw I couldn't move, he huffed in annoyance. "Hn. What a nuisance." He proceeded to drag me inside the school grounds. Of course, being the Demon of Namimori, he wasn't particularly gentle about it.

"Ouch!" I cried as a rock introduced itself to my stomach. "That hurts, dammit!"

Kyoya dropped me and kicked me in the side, a little harder than before. "Cursing is against the rules, herbivore. Do it again and I'll bite you to death, student or not."

That snapped me out of dizziness. I struggled to stand up. It was slow going, but I managed to get to my feet. "How do you know about my situation?" I questioned.

He ignored the question, merely glancing at me out of the corner of his eyes.

The realization came in an instant. "You have a copy of my educational records. And you looked through them." I wasn't asking—I was stating a fact.

"You're more skilled than most," he acknowledged. "That you don't show it interested me." He tossed a red armband in my face, which I barely managed to catch. "You'd be useful to the Committee."

I glanced down at the armband. It was the kind those in the Committee wore on their jackets. I smiled politely. "I'd like to think about it, if you don't mind."

Kyoya glared. "It's not a request. Refuse, and I will ban all your jobs."

"You know about that, too?" I thought I'd kept it hidden pretty well, too… As expected of the Demon Prefect, I suppose.

The black-haired third-year proceeded to walk away. "Get to the nurse's office, herbivore. I don't need a Committee member with a concussion."

"Geez, I never said I'd join." I limped inside the school building. "Oh, well. He let me off for being late, and they say never to look a gift horse in the mouth." I glanced upward into the school windows. "Who was that boy from before, though?"

I never knew that my kidnapper was the turning point of my relatively normal life.

* * *

**So, you've probably noticed that the plot doesn't seem to be there. My bad!**

**I want this story to flow like the manga and anime, though, so I'll be starting from the beginning.**

**Hope that it wasn't too bad!**

***Edit***

**So, I got a critical review that asked that I reread and rewatch the series, because my dialogue was mostly from memory. If that irritated you, mysterious critic, I tried my best to fix it.**

**I revised the chapter a bit, but I don't think you're missing much (except for the debut of Kensuke).**


	2. The Return of the HalfNaked Psycho

**Hi, people!**

**I tried to finish this chapter last week, but had to put it off because of finals.**

**But now I'm done with freshman year, so yay!**

**Now I can try to stock up on chapters so I don't have to worry about finishing a chapter in an ideal period of time.**

**Updates will still be sporadic, I'm afraid. D:**

**On that note, a disclaimer (which I failed to do last chapter)!**

**I, Bluosity, do not claim any of the characters in this fanfiction except for Suzuki Kazumi, some unimportant side characters, and maybe some future OCs. All other characters belong entirely to Akira Amano.**

**Enjoy (I hope)!**

* * *

Chapter 2—The Return of the Half-Naked Psycho.

All right, I lied—I didn't go to the nurse's office.

I know, I know—Kyoya would probably call it open contempt of his authority and I'd be bitten to death if he ever found out (which, thinking about it, he probably did, since he seemed to know _everything_ going on at school), but knowing the identity of the kidnapper suddenly seemed much more important than keeping all my limbs intact.

I could always blame my stupidity as a side effect of getting my brain rattled, if (when) he caught me.

"Sorry I'm late." I apologized as I entered the class.

"Suzuki, this is unusual." The homeroom teacher remarked. He stared me down in his scholar's spectacles. "You're one of the earlier students. What happened?"

I scratched my cheek. "Err, well…" What could I say? Some dude from class just up and dragged me around town, crashed into a truck, and I somehow landed at school in one piece? Yep, that would go smoothly. So I did the only thing I could do—I lied. "A toilet blew up at home and I had to fix it?"

The teacher sighed. Obviously, he saw through it (going through this every day probably turned him into a human lie detector). "I'll let it go this time, since you're only a few minutes late. Don't make it a habit." He marked something on his clipboard. "Go to your desk."

I bowed. "Thank you very much." I headed to my seat. I must have still been dizzy, though, because I stumbled slightly about halfway there and had to lean on a desk for support.

"A-are you okay, Suzuki-san?"

I stiffened. That voice… I turned my head…and met face to face with my crazy kidnapper. His most distinctive feature was his brown hair, which was spiked up in a near impossible hairstyle. Was that even natural? Other than that, he looked pretty normal. A little on the feminine side, but the usual brown eyes and naturally pale skin.

_Target locked._

_Commencing revenge (somehow)._

I smiled, as though I wasn't seething inside about how he scarred me for life. I had _not_ wanted to know what flying felt like without being safely strapped inside a plane. "Yeah, no need to worry." What was his name again?

"Suzuki, Sawada, do you two have something to share?" The teacher called from behind me. He sounded irritated.

"Hiiieee! N-nothing at all, sensei!" Sawada (that name sounded familiar) cried, waving his hands in front of him in a no-thank-you manner.

"Then get back to your seat, Suzuki."

I love how everything I do elicits a negative response.

* * *

From his hideout in the back of the room, Reborn watched the class and observed the students' habits. Everyone looked excited, anticipating the coming match between the class loser and the sempai who happened to be a kendo captain. Nobody was uncertain that Dame-Tsuna would lose epically. After all, he sucked at everything, and Mochida-sempai was well known for not having mercy, even against beginners.

Reborn smirked. He was going to work miracles.

* * *

I stared at the note on my desk, then stared at the person who sent it to me. Kurokawa Hana waved from her seat, turning around before the teacher saw her not paying attention. Then she turned again and motioned for me to read it.

I discretely dropped my pencil next to my page of notes (which was completely blank but for a bunch of meaningless doodles) and quietly opened the piece of paper.

_Mochida-sempai challenged Sawada for asking Kyoko out. The match is at lunch. You coming to watch?_

I stared at the two names. Mochida Kensuke and Sawada Tsunayoshi/Tsuna—my two least favorite people. One was a male chauvinist, and the other was some kind of bipolar psycho (at least he didn't go Hulk in class like this morning). One of them would have to win, but who did _I_ want to support?

* * *

Lunch was never as exciting before now. As the bell rang signaling the start of mealtime, everyone swarmed out the door, heading for the gym where the match would start.

I followed the crowd, sort of. It's wasn't like I had much of a choice, though, since Hana practically dragged me over. And if she hadn't, I'd have been squashed by the flow of people.

And so here I was, waiting for Sawada to show up.

"1000 yen says that Mochida-sempai will win in two minutes."

"1500 yen says that he'll win in thirty seconds!"

The bets were flowing in, and nobody was voting for Tsunayoshi. Well, that was expected. So why not shake things up a bit? "3000 yen says that Dame-Tsuna wins, however long it takes him to man up and fight."

The one organizing the bets, a classmate named Kashino, grinned. "That's a hefty sum for a risky bet. You're willing to go with it?"

"He's a monster when he wants to be. Trust me—I've got first-hand experience."

Kashino stared at me, disbelieving. "You're on. In fact, If you win the bet, which'll never happen, I'll give you all the money I win from this." We shook hands, both of us confident about our choices.

"You're wasting your money like, that, you know," Hana reprimanded disapprovingly.

I shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe he'll come through." If Kensuke turned into a crippled old man without the strength to hold a stick, maybe. The bet I made began to look more and more idiotic as I thought about it. How could I have forgotten about Kensuke's prowess with the shinai? I pictured 3000 yen—flushed down the metaphoric drain.

I felt a tug on my sleeve. "Ne, Kazumi-chan," Kyoko began. "Do you think I was a bit extreme, running away when he asked me out?"

I was about to answer honestly (No, Kyoko, that was nothing. You should have kicked him in the nuts before running away), but then I thought about it. The kid wouldn't have done this if he didn't really mean it. That meant that he really, really liked Kyoko.

I could feel my brain working out my little revenge plan.

"Yeah, maybe you did. I'm sure it was just a joke." This would be my petty revenge—make his romantic life with Kyoko near nonexistent. "When you see him, you should probably clear it up with him, so there aren't any hard feelings." So I was being immature. Sue me.

Kyoko giggled, her worries fluttering away like butterflies. "You're right. I'll talk to him when he gets here."

* * *

"He's late! Isn't Sawada here yet?" Ah, there was Kensuke, being annoying like usual. But I guess I could understand, this time—his opponent was ten minutes late.

"He ran away," came the answer.

"Man, stupid Dame-Tsuna," someone muttered.

Kensuke, upon hearing the news, laughed like an idiot. "Yohahaha! That means I win by default!" He continued to make a fool of himself without realizing it.

What a jerk. And what a flaky guy Sawada was. No wonder he was called a loser.

"It's Tsuna!"

"Dame-Tsuna's here!"

As one, the crowd turned to face the entrance. There, in all his pathetic glory, was Dame-Tsuna.

There were murmurs of "Hey, he really came," and "He should've run away." He looked like a rabbit readied for slaughter—which, to be honest, he essentially was. Fodder in the form of entertainment for the spectators.

Kensuke, trying to look cool, strutted up to his kohai with his equipment on. "So here you are, perverted stalker," he sneered. "The heavens may forgive scum like you, but I will not!" What a cheesy line.

"Wait," my classmate protested. "There's a reason for what happened—"

Kensuke pointed his shinai in the poor kid's face, shutting him up. "I won't listen to excuses!" He laughed confidently. "Don't worry. You're a beginner in kendo. So here's the match. If you can take ippon from me within ten minutes, you win. If you can't, I win." He twisted his body to face the audience. "The prize is, of course…"

My idiot-will-doing-something-idiotic senses were tingling. Ooh, this wouldn't be good. For Kensuke, that is.

"Sasagawa Kyoko!"

"P-prize?" Kyoko protested in her most annoyed voice (she didn't _have_ an annoyed voice).

It only took a split second to process what he was saying. "Sexist bastard," I muttered darkly. I willed hellish flames to rise and swallow the hateful target. "Women are not possessions! Get that through your thick head before I kick it through your ass!"

Hana, knowing full well I intended to kill (or at least seriously maim), held me back. "What a pig," she muttered. "I understand how you feel, Kazumi, but his blood all over the gym is not going to solve anything."

"It'll make me feel better!"

Kensuke ignored me and proceeded to start the match. "Let's go, Sawada!"

Someone tossed a shinai to the kohai, who clumsily caught it and fearfully stared at the charging kendo captain. He was knocked down once, then, unarmed, began to run around the gym, crying out in terror. Kensuke followed like a dog after its prey.

The audience began laughing. "That's Dame-Tsuna for you!" someone laughed.

I, on the other hand, was raging. "Fight like a man! Show that prick who's boss!"

Kensuke swept at Sawada's feet and tripped him. He brought his sword up dramatically. "You're mine." Dame-Tsuna could only cringe and wait for the final blow.

"Sawada-kun, don't give up!" Kyoko shouted, causing both opponents to stare at her in disbelief.

Suddenly, there was a cracking sound, and the fallen opponent fell backward for a split second. Immediately, he lurched back to his feet and shifted into a fighting stance, wearing only his boxers once again. The pervert was back. "REBORN! DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET IPPON!" he roared in the passionate voice he had when he dragged me around that morning. He ran at his opponent.

Laughter pervaded the large gymnasium. "The pervert's back!"

"Underpants man!"

Kensuke prepared his swing, intending to take his head-on. "Fool, you think petty tricks will work on me?" He swung down, but the kohai charged through the swing and broke his shinai. "What?" was all he could say before the crazed psycho jumped and straddled him. Dame-Tsuna raised his right hand in a karate-like fashion.

"A chop?" Yamamoto Takeshi questioned.

"He's going for the head!" A gray-haired sempai exclaimed.

"GRAAAAHHHH!" Underpants man grabbed a fistful of hair and mercilessly pulled out a clump. "FORGET ONE! I JUST TOOK 100!" He glared at the referee, who flinched but said nothing.

Silence. Then…

"Hahaha! Tsuna used his head there!" One boy said appreciatively.

"He never said what you were supposed to take." A spiky-haired classmate laughed.

"I hope he didn't go easy on him," I growled.

Sawada growled. "If this isn't enough…" He began to maniacally pull out chunks of more hair. That must hurt—good for him!

Fearfully, the referee raised a red flag and stuttered, "P-point! Red wins!"

Thus began the flood of surprised exclamations.

"Wow!"

"Tsuna won!"

The one who had complimented Sawada's joke earlier now praised, "That was crazy, but you did well!"

"I see you in a whole new light! That was awesome!"

Kyoko and I walked over to the surprised victor. I knelt down to inspect the aftermath. He didn't do a half-bad job, turning Kensuke bald. I felt better about cheering him on. I poked Kensuke's face. "I was going to beat your ass for what you said earlier, but I'm feeling merciful today," I whispered to him as I gave him my most sinister expression. "Be lucky Sawada only pulled out your hair."

Kensuke could only whimper in pain. He probably hadn't heard what I'd said. If he had been anyone else, I'd have felt sorry for him.

"Sawada-kun!" Kyoko called out.

"Ky-Kyoko-chan…" the boy stuttered.

"Sorry about this morning," Kyoko apologized. "My friends always tell me I don't know when to laugh.

Sawada slumped. He was probably disappointed that Kyoko treated his confession as a joke.

I grinned. Even if I don't regret making his romantic life difficult, I couldn't help but think more positively about him. Someone who beats up a sexist douche like Kensuke couldn't be that bad, right? Maybe he inhaled something that morning and went uncharacteristically wacko.

First impressions are important, but maybe it was wrong this time…

"You're amazing, Sawada-kun," Kyoko exclaimed. "Like, someone special. May I call you Tsuna-kun from now on?"

"O-of course!" The newly christened "Tsuna-kun" happily said.

The warning bell chimed. "Looks like we'll have to celebrate later. Let's go, Kyoko." I was heading for the door when I felt something heavy hit my head. "Ow!" I turned. "What was th…at…"

Kyoya glared from behind me. "Clean the gym before you leave, herbivore." He tossed a broom in my direction, barely giving me time to catch it.

I fumbled with the handle. "It looks like I have to stay or risk death. Sorry, Kyoko."

Kyoko shook her head. "No, it's okay. I'll see you later, okay?"

I smiled at her. "All right."

When she left, I faced the gym, which was now empty but for me.

…

…

Empty…?

"DAMMIT! WHY AM I DOING THIS ALONE?"

* * *

The afternoon sun was shining brightly, though it hinted at colder days to come.

Tsuna let out a heavy sigh. He had mixed feelings about this day. On the one hand, he got the attention of the school idol and his only crush, Kyoko-chan, and found that he could even beat a sempai with the help of the Deathperation bullet. On the other hand, the person who shot the bullet was a crazy-strong baby who seemed to have no qualms about making his life miserable. Plus, he pissed off a scary classmate, Suzuki Kazumi, because of said baby's reckless and sudden shooting.

"Hey."

The timid boy stiffened. Slowly, he turned around… to see a very pissed off Suzuki. He could practically see angry aura waves simmering in the background. "S-Suzuki-san!" Was she going to beat him up for what had happened in the morning?

She stepped forward, and Tsuna began praying frantically. _Please, Kami-sama or whoever is up there…If you're listening, please save meeeeeeeee!_ "You look like you're not happy to see me." She smiled, but it looked strained, unnatural. "Why's that?"

Tsuna squeaked. "I-I'm not _not_ happy, Suzuki-san! Please believe me!" _Don't kill me!_

She frowned, which somehow wasn't as scary as her smile. "Really? I'd think you would, since you **dragged me around town in your underwear**." She darkly ground out the last part between her gritted teeth.

"Hiieee! I'm sorr-eeeeeeeee!" Should he beg for forgiveness? That seemed to be the best option.

Suddenly, Suzuki looked away with a huff. "Normally, I'd beat you up for this morning, but…" she smirked evilly, "since you made a mess of Kensuke today, I'm willing to start over." She cleared her throat and held out a hand. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Suzuki Kazumi."

The boy hesitated. Should he take it? He probably should go along with it—Suzuki would beat him up if he didn't, most likely. "I-I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi, but my friends call me Tsuna."

Suzuki let go of his hand and walked past him. Over her shoulder, she said, "Thanks for the entertainment today…Tsuna. I'll be keeping an eye on you."

Silently, Tsuna wailed in terror. _That's even scarier_!

* * *

"I'm home," I announced to nobody in particular as I slipped out of my shoes. "I'm a bit hungry. What's there to eat…?" Oh, some bread and peanut butter—perfect for a snack. I'd have to stock up on more bread, though.

As I fixed myself a peanut butter sandwich, I thought back to the conversation with "Tsuna" after school. It made me snicker a little. I had decided to forget about the morning incident as a thank-you gift for beating up Kensuke, but it must have scared him even more. He really needed to grow a pair or something if he wanted to woo Kyoko, especially now that she thought that he was joking about his feelings for her.

On another tangent, my acting skills were pretty solid still. He looked absolutely terrified. I sniggered some more as I imagined how flustered my sudden introduction had made him.

As I spread the last bit of peanut butter on a slice of toast, the doorbell rang. Maybe it was that guest that Mama mentioned that morning? I shuffled over to the door and peered through the spyhole, but saw nobody. It couldn't hurt to open it, though, right?

"Ciaossu."

I looked down. There was that Italian baby again. I bent down so I was at eye level with him. Well, more or less at eye level. He was a bit small. "Hey, kid. You looking for your house? You're only one house off, I think."

He just tipped his fedora in a rather gentlemanly gesture and asked, "Suzuki Kazumi, right?" Of course, like everyone else, he'd ignore my quest—wait, I'd met him this morning. Where'd he find out my name?

I tipped my head to the side. "Yeah, but…how do you know that?"

"A first-rate hitman knows everything about everyone around him." He smirked, I could totally tell.

"That hitman-Mafia thing again." I sighed. "Don't you get tired of that?"

"No." What a blunt child.

"Well, Mr. Hitman, would you like me to take you home?" I sarcastically offered.

He pointed a green gun in my face. "Don't treat me like an imbecile, Suzuki. I can shoot you where you stand in a split second."

Okay, this was getting irritating. I pushed the metallic object away from my face. "You're not going to scare me. Don't you know it's rude to push things in other people's faces?" I asked, exasperated. "I hope you've got the safety on. You don't want the police to catch you with that gun…" Err… his name…

"Hn." The kid flipped his gun and it morphed into a green and scaly reptile…thingy. "You don't seem surprised that it's real."

I shrugged. "I've seen stranger things."

He tipped his fedora forward, adjusting it in the way that most girls found sexy (in older men). It just made him look mysterious. "I'm Reborn, and I'm acquainted with your parents."

…

Oh.

* * *

Bonus Episode!

Kazumi the Gambler

"Haa… I finally finished sweeping the gym." I grimaced as I thought about the expansive room. "Why does it have to be so darn huge?"

_Ding… dong…_

That's the school bell. Did I take that long? Wow, time sure flies by when you're cleaning to keep your limbs intact and bite-free.

"Hey, Suzuki! Did you just finish?" A classmate called out to me.

"Man, you've got some bad luck, getting picked out by the President," his friend laughed. "Why'd he choose you, though, instead of one of his goons?"

I scowled. "Probably because he hates my guts or something." Or he's exerting his authority as "my boss".

They patted my shoulder sympathetically. "It was nice knowing you, then," they solemnly and eerily intoned at the same time.

"Hope we see you tomorrow."

"Alive."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," I shouted at them as they ran away.

"Ah."

I turned and saw Kashino nervously edging away from me. "H-Hi, Suzuki-san." He stuttered. Why was he so scared?

…

Oh, right, we'd made a bet. A bet that I'd miraculously won. Time to collect the earnings, I guess. "Hey, Kashino. Remember our deal?"

"D-deal?" He fidgeted and fiddled with his school bag. "You mean the bet?"

"Yep!" I cheerily answered. "You said that you'd give me all your bet earnings if Sawada won the match. So…" I held out a hand. "It's time to pay up, don't you think?"

* * *

**Oh, Kazumi, you evil child.**

**I'm actually a little surprised by how aggressive and not-feminine I made my character. I'd wanted to deviate from a personality similar to mine, but I might have overdone it.**

**I want to point out, though, that Kazumi will only be this rude and mean to people she absolutely detests. She's actually civil to others. Most of the time.**

**Oh, oh! I forgot to mention this earlier, but I sincerely thank my first reviewers. Being the insecure person that I am, it made me happy that some people like this story. I'll do my best to keep the writing quality from falling!**


	3. Afterschool Activities

**Hi! It's Bluosity again!**

**So, I'd intended to stock up on stories before releasing this chapter, but I'd caught a cold (in summer! What insanity...) last week and felt under the weather until now. As a result, I'm out of chapters-again.**

**But anyways! A big thank-you to the reviewers! It does put a little pressure, knowing that some people are reading this with expectation, but I'll do my best to keep myself motivated.**

**On a side note, I've decided to insert some footnotes where I feel they may be need (or where I feel like putting them). I put a lot in this chapter, so don't say I didn't warn you!**

**And now for the disclaimer:**

**I, Bluosity, do not own the world of Katekyo Hitman Reborn, which belongs entirely to Akira Amano. I only own my OCs and (later) some of the plot.**

**This is Bluosity, signing off!**

* * *

Chapter 3-After-school Activities

I sat across from the unusual baby. He observed me while sipping his hastily-made coffee (I found some instant coffee somewhere in the back of the cabinet. The previous home owners must have left it there). It was a bit uncomfortable being scrutinized by him, like trying to sit on a bed of needles.

"This coffee is awful," he casually commented. "I'm guessing it's instant?"

Ouch.

I bristled a bit at that. "I wasn't exactly expecting visitors, especially one that likes espresso. If you don't like it, then don't drink it."

He set down his cup, a frown adorning his chubby face. "Are you always this rude to your elders? I'd have thought that Allegra and Dante had taught you better." [1]

I crossed my arms. "Mama taught me manners, but I won't show them to someone who intentionally insults me in any way." We glared daggers at each other. Or, at least, I did. Reborn merely smirked, not intimidated at all. "So why are you visiting? Mama only had time to tell me you were coming over from Italy."

Reborn wrapped his tiny hands around the tea mug. "I'm here for some tutoring. Your family just happens to live here, in the same town as my student."

"Uh-huh. And how long are you staying?"

"Depends on how much of a loser my student is," was the simple but harsh reply. "Going by today's results, at least two years for the basics. At least four more for the final grooming."

"Grooming?" That's a strange word. "Grooming for what?"

His lips curled upwards in a knowing, mocking grin. "Who knows?"

"Obviously, you do!"

I checked my watch. "Damn, it's almost four-thirty." I glanced at Reborn, exasperated. "I've got some stuff to do today, so I'd be much obliged if you'd leave when you're done with your drink."

Reborn hopped onto the table. "What are you doing?" His eyes glinted mischievously. Or maybe that was just my imagination.

"Oh? The great hitman doesn't know what I'm going to be doing?" I commented sarcastically. "Are you really as skilled as you say you are, then?"

Once again, I was staring down the muzzle of the green gun. "Don't try to test my patience, Kazumi," he warned in a more serious voice. He actually sounded more mature than he looked. "I'm giving you the chance to tell me, not that I can't find out."

I brought my hands up in a mocking gesture of surrender. "Sure, sure," I drawled. Then I headed out of the kitchen and headed up the stairs. "Make sure you put the cup in the sink when you're done," I called over my shoulder. "I haven't got time babysitting you for the day." [2]

* * *

Reborn stared after the retreating figure, his finger itching to pull the trigger. That girl was absolutely infuriating, even if she didn't know that he wasn't really an infant. He stroked Leon, now in his normal, chameleon form. "I might not be able to keep my promise to Allegra, if she's this annoying." Leon merely blinked. "Yeah, I probably shouldn't kill her." It'd be counterproductive to his promise. Besides, he thought with a smirk, if he could just convince them…

She could be a valuable addition to the Vongola _famiglia_. [3]

* * *

I checked my disguise in the mirror. The person I saw was me, but not me. I changed my whole figure (though my torso needed minimal wrapping. Fortunately/unfortunately, I didn't _have_ a chest to flatten) so that I looked like a guy. I tucked my brown hair under a black wig, and hid my brown eyes under some black circle lenses. Though it didn't seem like much of a change, with some loose pants and a sports jacket, I was able to change genders in five minutes.

I grabbed a large case that was resting outside the bathroom and headed down the stairs. The unusual baby was gone, which was good. I had not appreciated his insults, as anyone could tell.

"I'm leaving!" I called out, again, to nobody in particular. It had become a habit after Mama had suddenly decided to enforce some Japanese traditions last year. Now, even though nobody was home, I still made the usual greetings and farewells.

I left the house the usual way, and nobody saw me leave. The exit led me to the Namimori shopping plaza, where people were hustling and bustling around, shopping for clothes and food and whatnot. As usual, I headed for my familiar spot, the side of the curb in the center of the square. There wasn't much business to obstruct, so I doubted anyone would seriously tell me to leave. After all, I'd been doing this for about a year already.

I sat down on the familiar curb and set the case down in front of me. Inside, there lay a classic guitar. It was still pretty well-kept, considering it had been used when I'd bought it and I played it quite often.

Leaving the case open, I carefully set the guitar on my lap and fiddled with it a bit. Soon enough, it was tuned, and I was ready to play. [4]

Inhale, exhale. I'd be outside for a while. I may as well relax while I can.

* * *

Hibari prowled the streets, on the lookout for any rule-breaking herbivores. He hadn't bitten anyone worthy of fighting him in a long time, maybe never. But at least now he had some candidates. Or, rather, a candidate.

That Suzuki Kazumi… though she was skilled in hiding it, there was something in her stance, her posture, that made him reach for his tonfas. It wasn't a particular renowned talent—her records had shown her a model student in every way, which was why he hadn't acted on his instincts yet. The school wouldn't want to lose her scores, which would happen if he sent her to the hospital.

No, it was something much more subtle, something she wasn't telling anyone. She masked it behind her aggressive persona to make her seem more herbivorous, as though she had bark and no bite. That _something_… it gave him shivers of excitement even thinking about biting her to death.

"Uwa! As expected of Ikuto-kun!"

"You play so well!"

"Could you play Akira's new song next?"

But that would have to wait. Right now, he spotted a familiar (but unwelcome nonetheless) crowd surrounding a familiar herbivore, who was holding his useless not-weapon. What was the point of it, if all it did was make noise?

"Takahashi Ikuto," he growled. Immediately, the crowd parted, silent and fearful (as it should be in the presence of a powerful predator like himself). "Obstructing the square is against the rules." He gripped his tonfas in his fighting position.

"Oh, Hibari-san," the annoying herbivore laughed. His laugh was as irritating as his actions. "It should be all right, though. There aren't so many people that the space we take up ruins anyone's business."

It was the same every week. "Hn." Hibari set down his tonfas and instead held out a demanding hand. "Then pay the protection fee."

The herbivore sighed. "Again?" he asked, though already reaching into his wallet. "It's a good thing I emptied my bank yesterday." He brought out some crisp bills and placed them in the prefect's open palm. "There, that's the 5500 yen." [5]

Hibari sniffed in distaste. He was annoying, but at least he had the sense not to defy him. He doubted that the herbivore would last even one hit, and he probably knew it. Besides, the herbivore paid well, more than he charged the stalls in the summer festival. "Don't crowd in my presence next time." The prefect then spun and walked away, leaving behind some very relieved citizens.

Takahashi Ikuto was an unusual herbivore, Hibari reflected. Despite not possessing any visible combat skills, he wasn't afraid of the Disciplinary Committee and even went so far as to arrange an agreement.

It'd be a good idea to keep watch on him as well.

* * *

By 8:30, the sun was well out of sight, and I shivered a bit as I stepped back inside. I pulled off my wig and tossed it in the closet before going into the bathroom to take out my contact lenses. Ugh. As much as I love going out to play on the guitar, it was hard on the eyes. I always came back with a dry feeling, and it wasn't that pleasant. Maybe I should think of getting eye drops…

I checked my cell phone screen. Huh, 2 missed calls. I flipped it open and checked to see who had called while I was busy. One of them was Mama, probably to see how I was doing. The other caller, though, was someone else. Someone pretty important. If he was calling, then there must be something he needed to tell me.

I pressed the call button and held the phone to my ear.

_Drrr… drrr… drrr… _[6]

He picked up on the third ring. "Oh, Suzuki! Glad you called!"

I leaned against the kitchen counter, elbows against the tiled surface. "Good afternoon, _signore_. I hope everything is going well?"

I heard a muffled laugh—distant, so probably not _signore_'s. "Didn't I already tell you that you don't need to be so formal?" _Signore_ protested. "You're only thirteen, but you sound older than me."

"I'm sorry, _signore_," I replied as I tapped my fingers against the counter, "But I decline. As my employer, you deserve a certain amount of respect."

My boss sighed, already used to my stubbornness. "Well, anyways, I'm sure that you already know of Reborn's arrival?"

"Yes, sir. But I'm surprised you know of him as well."

"He's, ah… an old acquaintance, though I'm sure he'll deny that." He laughed amusedly to himself. "I just wanted to tell you that you can send your works here through Reborn, if anything happens to our usual communication method."

I felt a twinge of surprise. "He will? I dunno, _signore_. From the meetings I've had so far, he doesn't seem the type to answer to anybody. And besides, what's wrong with e-mail?"

"He'll do it, don't worry," _Signore_ reassured me. "He might not like me personally, but he answers to _my_ boss."

Oh? That was news. "You have a boss? I thought you were CEO of your company?"

"Er, well…" There was a pause. "We're not an average business. My company is… a branch of the main one, so to speak, though it's unofficially." He chuckled. "I'm the CEO of this… branch, so even your all-powerful boss has someone to answer to."

"Really." It wasn't a question, more of a statement. I was getting a glass of water, so I sounded a bit uninterested. "Well, then, _signore_, I have some school work to do, so I must be going."

"Send my regards to my lovely wife and cute kid, 'kay?" He cheerfully requested. "And start calling me by my first name! You make me sound stuffy."

I smiled. My employer was always the happy one. "If you ever tell me who they are, I'll be sure to do that."

"That's right, you don't know. Ah, I'll tell you now then, since you're such a precious young lady. My son may seem a bit timid, but I hope he'll open up to you. Be good friends with my Nana and Tsuna, won't you?"

I barely caught my cup in time. As it was, I spilled water all over the front of my jacket. "Wha—Tsuna's your son?" This was _huge_ news. So huge, I almost forgot to be polite. "Ie—I mean, _signore_—"

"Gotta go now, Suzuki," Iemitsu sang. "Hope to hear from you soon!" [7]

And then he hung up.

And I just stood there stupidly.

* * *

**Footnotes**

**[1] So, in case somebody didn't notice, Allegra and Dante are referring to Kazumi's parents. Right now, they're both in Italy for reasons currently unknown (but certainly guess-able).**

**[2] If this were anyone else, Reborn would have blasted him or her to unrecognizable pieces, is what I think. But there is a reason he hasn't already shot her, which I'll probably explain in a later chapter.**

**[3] Don't worry, Kazumi will not be the first one to be recruited. But, on my main point, can you guess who "they" are? It's not that hard, if you think about it.**

**[4] For all guitar experts out there, please bear with my shameful lack of knowledge. I'll try to skip over as much as I can. I'm truly sorry, because I know how frustrating it can be when someone ignorant tries to sound knowledgeable. m(_ _)m**

**[5] I'm pretty sure that 100 yen is about a dollar, so 5500 yen is about 55 dollars. I tried to be as accurate as possible by using a yen to dollar converter, but the numbers are nasty, so I decided to wing it. On another point, I think Hibari demands 5000 yen from the stalls in the summer festival, but I'm not completely sure. I'll check the anime after I post this.**

**[6] Haha, failed dial imitation for the win.**

**[7] Yeah, so Kazumi works for Iemitsu, though she hadn't known that he and Tsuna were related. I'll reveal the past (and how she can be employed without an uproar about her young age) in a later chapter.**


	4. I watch a volleyball game

**What? An update from Bluosity? Impossible!**

**Yes, that's right, people-I have finally gotten around to submitting another chapter. I actually had this written for quite a while, but I made some major modifications (pretty much rewriting the chapter) to this and the next chapter after seriously thinking about developing my character and mapping out plot points.**

**Just in time, too. Life as a sophomore is going to start in less than 24 hours (Q3Q)**

**Even now, I'm not so confident that this is the best chapter it could be, but I thought that you guys needed an update to show you that I wasn't dead (although I knew this would happen and warned you beforehand).**

**Oh, and I've also decided that I won't be too concerned with sticking word for word with the anime and manga, because that would just stress me out. Additionally, I'm adding some little arcs that [I hope] will develop Kazumi further.**

**Thanks for reading this really long author's note (if you haven't already skipped to the story)!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! or any of its characters. This privilege belongs solely to Akira Amano. However, the OC's are my creations.**

* * *

Chapter 4—I Watch a Volleyball Game

When I came to school (early this time), I saw a crowd bunched around my desk. They seemed to be awed about something.

I walked over and pushed through the blob of people. "Hey, guys. What's up with the wall of students?" And then I saw what they were looking at—a black jacket, folded neatly and placed on the top of my desk.

Under normal circumstances, I'm sure the black jacket wouldn't be the scandal of the year. But then again, this was no ordinary jacket. It was the sleek, long-sleeved jacket that prefects like Kyoya and Tetsuya (his Vice-President) wore. The only thing missing was the red armband, which I'd put in my bag (and forgot to take out last night). "Oh, right."

"You're in the Committee, Suzuki-chan?" A girl with silver braces asked. [1]

I snatched up the jacket and hid it in my bag, not that there was any point in it now that everybody had seen it. "Y-yeah, I started a few days ago."

"Woah!"

"I never would have expected that!"

"Did Hibari-san make you join by threatening to bite you to death?"

I shook my head. "I don't think he's that murderous," I said. "He just said he'd wanted to ask for a while."

Lies. I was totally lying through my teeth. Kyoya was definitely as bloodthirsty and dangerous as everybody thought he was, but why stir up more fear when he's already hailed as the scariest prefect of all time?

Hana, from her position next to Kyoko, was about to open her mouth to say something, but then the bell rang, and she scrambled back into her seat.

The homeroom teacher, Sato-sensei, nervously shuffled in. Behind him was a tall, silver-haired boy, his hands in his pockets. He looked like some kind of delinquent.

Sato-sensei addressed the class, his face a bit sweaty. "Allow me to introduce our transfer student. He just returned from studying in Italy. Gokudera Hayato."

Hayato's face didn't change even as the class reacted. Most of the girls were already swooning over him, and a lot of the boys seemed to be jealous of his immediate popularity. I could understand, I guess. I mean, his face wasn't bad, and he was tall (though not as tall as Takeshi). He didn't look that friendly, though—his face looked as though he was just offered some poison. [2]

But this was interesting. He came back from Italy, right? I wonder if I'd ever seen him before?

Without prompting, Hayato started walking, heading towards the window where Tsuna was sitting. Tsuna looked surprised, though mostly terrified. Then, without warning, Hayato kicked over Tsuna's desk.

That was strange. Did they know each other?

I shrugged. It wasn't really my business. And besides, just because I knew that Tsuna was _signore_'s son didn't mean that I would revere and adore him. I still wasn't sure whether making friends with Tsuna was okay or not.

Hayato took the only seat left, which happened to be next to mine. Just to be courteous, I thought I'd try to make acquaintances. I stuck out a hand. "Hi, I'm Suzuki Kazumi. Hope we get along."

He glared at me for a moment, then continued to stare daggers at Tsuna, who was beginning to look pitiable. I retreated; that face looked like he'd chop off my hand if I kept it out any longer.

Wonderful. Even the new transfer kid was ignoring me. Maybe I looked like a pushover?

Sato-sensei, relieved that Hayato didn't do anything else, began to take role and announced what our class would be doing today. I didn't pay attention until the last part of what he was saying.

"…And this afternoon, there will be a volleyball match against class 1-C. Both classes are invited to watch our teams play best out of three sets. I expect you all to be respectful and show sportsmanship."

I swear my ears perked up like a dog's. I was always interested in watching sports, since I hadn't had much of a chance to before coming to Japan.

I turned excitedly to Hana, which seemed to disturb my new classmate. He briefly glared in my direction before turning his attention back to poor Tsuna. But I didn't really care about that. Instead, I motioned to Hana and grinned goofily to express my excitement. As the good friend she is, she just rolled her eyes and nodded sarcastically.

I hope today would be fun. As long as the volleyball game was enjoyable, heads wouldn't roll.

* * *

"You look happy today, Kazumi-chan," Kyoko giggled as she, Hana, and I walked together to the gymnasium.

I shrugged, though inside I was grinning like an idiot. "Like I said, I like watching sports."

Hana, who looked ready to burst with curiosity (well, not really), wrapped an arm around my neck and tugged me down face-to-face. Dang, the both of them were short. "So?" she prompted in that tone that meant she'd been holding in her question since the morning. "Why didn't you tell us that you're in the Disciplinary Committee?"

Despite being five centimeters shorter, Hana managed to sound like a strict grandmother.

I waved my hands in front of me in defense. "I didn't think it'd matter much. Honest!"

Hana let go of me with a huff. "I wonder why Hibari would recruit you. They say that all the members are delinquents."

"What's that supposed to imply, Hana? You saying I'm a delinquent?" I grumbled good-naturedly. "I don't know why he made me join, but I'm certainly not going to refuse. He'd bite me to death." And stop me from working. I needed the salary my jobs provided.

I felt a strong hand clap my shoulder. "Suzuki!" The hand turned me around to face a familiar white-haired boxer. "I saw you running with that underpants kid yesterday!" Ryohei exclaimed. My mouth twitched. Of course, he _would_ mistake that for a morning jog. "That's EXTREME! You should join the boxing club!"

I winced. As much as I enjoyed Kyoko's company, I found it a bit difficult to be around her older brother. "Good afternoon to you, too, Ryohei."

"Onii-chan!" Kyoko exclaimed. "Please don't recruit my friends all the time."

"Sorry, Ryohei, but I don't have any intentions of joining clubs. I've already got after-school activities that I'm committed to," I rejected, again (how many times has that been? Twenty? I think it was twenty-two…).

Thankfully, I was saved from Ryohei's reply by Tsuna's arrival. As soon as he opened the door, everyone in class 1-A cheered madly.

"Fight, Tsuna!"

"Hey! Here comes some dependable help!"

Tsuna looked overwhelmed and confused by the sudden support. And why wouldn't he? He was always called Dame-Tsuna by ninety-nine percent of the school population, and only yesterday did he prove his manliness (by tearing out Kensuke's hair like a bitch, but who cared about details?).

"Tsuna-kun, do your best!" Kyoko encouraged as the timid boy walked past. If I hadn't been sure yesterday, the blush on his face definitely confirmed that Tsuna had a major crush on my friend.

I nudged Hana in the side. She must have noticed it, too. "Hey, Hana, does Tsuna like Kyoko that much?"

Hana snickered. "It looks like it. Poor Sawada, Kyoko has no idea and only thinks of him as a friend."

"Ara? What are you guys talking about?" Kyoko asked innocently.

I struggled to keep a straight face. "It's nothing, Kyoko. Just wondering whether Tsuna will show us another super move like yesterday." It was too bad Kyoko was so oblivious to romance (for Tsuna, that is. It was great for me and my petty revenge).

"The match between 1-A and 1-C will now begin!" The P.E. teacher looked frightened as he began the match. It was no wonder, seeing as Kyoya was standing only two meters away. Even without his tonfas in view, he looked ready to kill at any time.

The game was a bit boring, to be honest. I knew nothing about volleyball, but even I knew that Tsuna wasn't doing his job that well. I mean, who'd think that he was a great player, after seeing his serve (he hit is with his face, not his hand) and his defense (the spikes always flew past his short figure, and the ball usually hit his stomach instead of his forearms)? Yeah, he _totally_ had the ideal form.

In short, Tsuna was absolutely horrible.

The first set ended with 1-C winning 21 to 3. It was only thanks to Yamamoto Takeshi that our class even got 3 points. Class A started muttering.

"What's up with him?"

"Tsuna's just being Dame-Tsuna again!"

Class 1-A looked humiliated, especially the volleyball team. From my position, it looked like Tsuna was being yelled at. And, it looked like Tsuna was explaining something to the team. "Wonder what he's talking about?"

But nobody could say, because suddenly, Tsuna's whole atmosphere changed a bit. Instead of the cowardly person everyone knew, he became a little less wimpy (not completely, but enough so that even Gokudera Hayato, the transfer student, seemed to notice).

"Something's…different about him," Ryohei observed. Even _Ryohei_ was more subdued, and not much made him quiet.

But then Tsuna ruined it by tripping over nothing. And he didn't even fall forward—it was just his luck to, somehow, trip _backwards_. So much for the dramatic atmosphere. [3]

But that must have triggered something in Tsuna, because when the next set started, he jumped… _really high_. It was, I dunno, at the level of a superhuman. Everyone was shocked. I think I even saw a few dropping jaws.

Unfortunately, it came at a pretty big price. When the other team hit the volleyball while Tsuna was jumping, the ball sped forward into Tsuna's crotch. Even to me, that looked painful, and I wasn't a boy.

"He sacrificed the most important part of a man's body to block it." Ryohei, who had been mercifully quiet, now burned with fire. "Now that's passion! That's true passion!"

Like Ryohei, the volleyball team was re-energized when they saw Tsuna's sacrifice. Within an hour, our class won the next three sets. "Game set! Class A wins!"

Of course, there was the usual we-won cheering, but this time, it lasted for at least five minutes.

"Tsuna really showed his worth there!"

"Yeah, that crotch block was so brave of him!"

Surprisingly enough, Tsuna wasn't celebrating with everyone else. Instead, he was being dragged outside with the transfer student. Weird, did they know each other well?

I started following them, when I heard somebody following _me_. "Hey, Kazumi, wait up!" When I turned to look, I saw that it was Takeshi. "Did you see Tsuna around? I wanted to thank him again for helping us win the match."

"Yeah, I saw him leaving with Hayato," I replied.

"Hayato?" Takeshi repeated. "Do you have a close relationship with him?" [4]

I shook my head. "No, but I feel awkward calling people by their last names. I spent most of my life in America, and we don't usually call our peers by their family names. I guess the habit stuck."

"Ah, I see." Takeshi laughed. "Then, is that why you call me Takeshi?"

I grinned. "Yep. I refer to everyone younger or the same age as me by his or her first name. It's partly why I don't call Kensuke 'Mochida-senpai'. He's only a year or two older." Though the main reason was that I didn't respect him at all.

_Boom._

"Huh?" I looked up to see smoke curling in the air. "Is there a sale today?"

"I don't know, but those sure are loud fireworks!" Takeshi admired. "It's like they're setting them off in school!"

_Boom-boom-boom-boom_.

"Wow, they're really going all out."

"Haha, yeah! I wonder what they're advertising?"

Just then, I spotted Tsuna in the distance. "Hey, there's Tsuna over there. Hayato, too."

"Hey, Tsuna," Takeshi called.

"Y-Yamamoto, Suzuki-san." Tsuna looked very frightened.

"Watcha doing there?" Takeshi asked as we walked over.

"Die!" Hayato shouted as he threw a bunch of cylindrical sticks at us.

"Uwa!" Tsuna cried out. "Snuff them out! Snuff them out!" He grabbed the ends of the sticks, but let them go just as quickly. "Ah! So hot! It's no use!"

"What kind of game is this?" Yamamoto mumbled as he looked at one of the sticks he'd picked up.

I leaned over to look. "Don't you think they kinda look like dynamite?" Even the ends were burning. Was Hayato trying to scare Tsuna with them? I picked another one off the ground. "Yeah, that definitely looks like dynamite."

"Looks fun. Let us join in." Takeshi said.

Us? Why add me into this? "Hey, that'd be cool and all, but I'd rather not. These things look a little too real for me to feel comfortable." I waved a hand in refusal as I lied. The real reason was that Mama'd kill me if she found out. It did sound like a fun challenge, though… I absolutely loved challenges. [5]

"Why not, Kazumi?" Takeshi asked. "No matter how real they look, they're still toys."

_Thump_.

Huh? I stared at Tsuna, who was lying down, looking very much dead. I stared at him. "Tsuna, what are you doing? Are you playing dead or what?"

As soon as I said that, Tsuna lurched off the ground, ripping off his clothes (without using his hands! How was that possible?) and wearing nothing but blue boxers with yellow star prints. [6] "REBORN! I'LL SNUFF OUT THOSE FIRES LIKE MY LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!" He grabbed the dynamite toys Takeshi and I were holding and extinguished the burning spark on the end. "Out! Out! Out! Out!" he yelled like a maniac as he did the same to the other sticks on the ground.

"Double bombs!" Hayato shouted as he threw even more dynamite at us.

"Out! Out! Out! Out!" Tsuna steamrolled on, extinguishing the dynamite like a pro.

"Triple bombs," Hayato growled. He looked like he was struggling with a whole box's worth of dynamite.

All right, this was getting out of hand. Even if those things weren't dangerous until they blew up, they could still make a mess—it'd be a hassle to clean them up, and I doubted that Hayato would pick up after himself. [7] I sauntered over and grabbed his forearm in warning. "Better stop now while you're not making the school too dirty," I said.

"The hell, stupid woman, get out of the way." Hayato pushed my hand out of the way.

Oh, he did _not_ just do that. "I'm warning you once, Gokudera Hayato," I said, barely able to keep my temper in check. "_Stop throwing these toys around_."

"Piss off," was his only response.

That was _it_! I couldn't help myself. I kicked him in the balls. He made a satisfyingly pained sound as he let go of his dynamite and belatedly protected his family jewels.

"Damn woman, this is the end of us!" he groaned as he fell to the ground. [8]

"What are you talking about?" I crossed my arms.

"I _mean_, you just killed the both of us!"

I snorted. "Yeah, with your so-called bombs." I picked one up and snuffed it out. "These things take way too long to detonate to be called real dynamite." [9]

"Out! Out!" Tsuna was still snuffing out the sparks at lightning speed. I swear I could almost see afterimages. Even Hayato stopped groaning long enough to watch with awe.

When he took out the last of the dynamite, Tsuna went back to being his usual wimpy self and sighed in relief. "Uwa, that was close."

Suddenly, Hayato bowed on his hands and knees. "I apologize," he humbly said. I didn't think that he'd have such a side to him. Even Tsuna was surprised. "You are indeed worthy as the next boss. Juudaime, I will follow you to the ends of the earth. Your wish is my command."

"Huh?" Tsuna echoed my thoughts exactly. What was going on?

Reborn walked between the two (where had he come from?) "The loser serves the winner. It's our family code."

"Code?" Again, Tsuna said what I was thinking. What did Reborn mean by family? Were Hayato and Tsuna related? They didn't look anything alike. And if they were related, wouldn't Tsuna have known Hayato, or at least this family code?

Hayato seemed to have forgotten his pain in his awe. "Actually, I…I never had any intention of becoming the Juudaime. I just wanted to test your abilities to see if you're strong enough." Then, he showed his puppy-like face. "But I was a fool! You've exceeded my expectations. You even risked your life to save me, your enemy! I, Gokudera Hayato, place my life in your hands!"

I tapped my feet as I crossed my arms over my chest. Sure, he'd willingly go on hands and knees for the one previously called the class loser, but it took a well-placed kick to bring him down in front of me. I see how it is.

"Hold on, I can't handle that… " Tsuna protested. "Can't we just be classmates?"

Again, Hayato changed personalities like someone had flipped a switch. "We can't."

I stepped back so I stood next to Takeshi. "Hayato's an unusual guy, isn't he?" I muttered irritably.

Takeshi laughed, not registering my annoyance. "He sure is! But I think that this year will be really fun with him and Tsuna around." He dragged me with him and put an arm around me and Tsuna. "Tsuna! You're a fun guy! Let us join in!"

"Eh?" Tsuna stammered.

"You're the boss, right?"

"I thought I said I couldn't do it," I protested as I squirmed to get out of Takeshi's grip. I may as well have been trying to move a boulder.

"Hey, pal…" Hayato growled as he got back to his feet. "Don't be acting all friendly with the boss."

"Oh? What's with that guy?

"It's the lame underpants man."

Three third-years, from behind us, made their presence known with their unpleasant laughing.

"T-The third-year bullies!" Tsuna stammered.

I felt something snap inside. Forget being nice. Because of a certain transfer student, I was ready to pummel somebody to a pulp. I slipped out of Takeshi's slackened grip and stalked toward the Three Stooges.

"It appears that I can already be of service." Hayato stalked towards them on stiff legs, his dynamite toys ready in his hands. "I'll blow them to smithereens."

"I-It's okay! You don't have to do that!" Tsuna tried to stop Hayato.

I put a hand on Hayato's shoulder, making him cringe in preparation. "It looks like we're on the same wavelength, Hayato," I said as I stared ahead. "I was going to make you clean up after yourself, but I'll let you off if you let me do the honors of 'blowing them to smithereens'."

"Back off, woman," Hayato growled. I was amazed he could even talk, let alone stand. "They insulted Juudaime. I'm not gonna let it slide."

"And I'm telling you that we're thinking of the same thing," I shot back. "Back down just this once, and I promise I won't interfere next time."

He hesitated, but he must have still felt sore between his legs. "Hmph." Hayato stuffed his dynamite in who-knows-where. "You owe me for this."

"Thanks, Hayato." I grinned wolfishly.

"Don't call me by my first name, stupid woman. I barely know you."

I ignored that. "You three get back to class. If Kyoya finds out you're here, he's not going to let it go."

Tsuna was the only one to take me seriously. "Hiee! We should go, Yamatoto, Gokudera-kun!"

I watched them go. As soon as they turned the corner, I gave my attention back to the third years, letting my smile slip away. "Thanks for waiting." I flexed my wrists. "Now, to business."

"Oh? You've got a mouth on you." The one wearing a beanie sneered. He reached over and grabbed my chin lifting it so I was forced to meet his eyes. "I like that sass. And you ain't bad-looking either."

"Why don't ya stop acting tough and come with us?" the one with thick eyebrows sniggered.

I pushed the guy's hand away. "I've got a better idea. Why don't you put on your school uniforms? Then you could save yourselves the humiliation of being beaten by a girl."

"Eh?" The third one, a guy with a green headband, tried to look menacing. "What are you, some bitch in the Committee?" Of course, he wouldn't know how right he was; I'd left my jacket in my bag. "You're just a first-year. Don't kid yourself into thinking you're all that. I was gonna let you go after having a bit of fun, but it looks like you need to be taught a lesson." He lifted his foot and kicked out.

He was completely off-balance. But at least it meant I had a legitimate reason to let go. If anyone asked, it was self-defense. And discipline, let's not forget that.

I stepped to the side and let his weight's momentum bring him closer to me. "Who's teaching whom?" I watched him head for the building, unable to stop fast enough. He hit the wall, stunned. "Let me see..." I took a quick look at the rule book I'd found tucked inside the Committee jacket during class. "Oh, here it is: 'All students are required to wear their uniforms during school hours, unless approved by the principal.' Well, you're obviously not approved by the school to wear those clothes. As a member of the Disciplinary Committee," I crouched down, legs shoulder-width apart, "I shouldn't just let this slip by, now, should I?"

And no, I would not show mercy. Since I couldn't beat up Hayato, I had to let go somewhere, didn't I?

* * *

Reborn watched from his hideout in the tree, his coffee forgotten for the moment. The scene before him was far too riveting for him to _not_ watch.

Within a minute, she had forced her three larger opponents into submission. To do that without breaking a sweat was an admirable feat (though simple enough for an elite hitman like himself).

But that itself wasn't what he had the most interest in.

The infant hitman stroked Leon absently, eliciting a low purring noise from his faithful partner. This was unexpected. He'd thought that Dante wouldn't want his daughter involved in the Mafia, but with those moves, she was bound to be considered a potential asset, for another _famiglia_ if the Vongola didn't make a move first.

But her movement was a bit too skilled to be taught by a free-lance engineer and his wife. That meant that she'd learned these movements at her previous school, where she'd spent most of her life before moving to Japan. Reborn shuffled through his computer files that held information for all Namimori citizens. He opened up the document titled "Suzuki Kazumi".

To say the least, the information was extremely scarce compared to most other files—the only other file that was even close to having as little or less information was Hibari Kyoya's. Iemitsu mentioned that someone had corrupted most of the data input with a virus before he could salvage it and send it to him (no matter what people said about Ietmitsu's carefree personality, the blond CEDEF leader was meticulous when it came to his son's protection.). But some information still remained, including where Kazumi had gone to school before now.

_Kazumi Suzuki_

_Born January 1, ******************************_

_Height: 163 cm. Weight: 55.5 kg [10]_

_Background: Unknown early childhood ********************************************** ******************* Fiama [11] ************************** agreed *********** CEDEF ******* with her parents. *********** unconfirmed. Subject is currently attending Namimori Junior High School for a yearly salary in exchange for significantly raising the school's national ranking and reputation. _

_Geneology: unknown ***************************_

_Other notable facts: Subject was emancipated (******* Fiama *************) and works multiple jobs, including waitressing at Takesushi and delivering the Namimori News. However, transactions of her salary are untraceable due to her bank account's protected status (************Fiama ************). Subject believes that CEDEF is a company that deals with construction, business, and media. ****** unexplained disappearances *******_

The rest of the document had been corrupted by the virus, and Reborn was disappointed that CEDEF had failed to salvage more. According to Iemitsu, the virus had prioritized all information that hadn't been marked as unconfirmed. Now, the file was near empty except for the bare minimum.

But no matter. He was quite interested in "Fiama", which had popped up three times in the file. If it had been only once, he might have dismissed it was a spelling error. But three times—that was too much of a coincidence.

Perhaps it was referring to the Fiama program? That was the only other explanation.

It had created quite a stir in the international public a near decade ago because all the major countries had unexpectedly acknowledged the program. The public wasn't told of the program's details, but there were rumors that the program was an educational speedup that allowed unconditional emancipation of the participants. He wasn't one for rumors, but all stories had some grain of truth to them.

Reborn glanced over at Kazumi, who had begun to walk back to class, leaving behind a pile of groaning third-years.

Just how true were these rumors?

* * *

**[1] I have no idea why I distinguished her as the girl with silver braces. Maybe she'll be an official OC, but I wouldn't bet on it. I just thought that she'd have braces.**

**[2] Oh, yes, a not-so-subtle reference to Bianchi. I'd imagine that after being forced to eat her cooking for so long, he'd have a permanent I'll-kill-you-if-you-offer-me-food expression on his face.**

**[3] At this point, Tsuna was shot in the legs by Reborn. But nobody really reacted to it in the anime, so I decided to make Tsuna look even more Dame than he really is. Besides, I think he does this in the episode where Dino comes over. Trip over nothing, I mean.**

**[4] In Japanese culture, usually only close friends call each other by first names. I'm under the impression that it's considered rude if you aren't a close friend, but call someone by his or her first name anyways.**

**[5] The reason that Kazumi doesn't want to join this "Mafia game" is that Mama doesn't let her. The reason for _that_ will come later. But she does like to play with weapons, even if they are "fake".**

**[6] Most people, Kazumi included, can't see the Dying Will flame on Tsuna's head, because it's an aura and not an actual flame (like when he uses his X Gloves). That's why Kazumi and others don't go around screaming that someone's head is on fire.**

**[7] Despite only being in the Committee for a day, Kazumi knows what Hibari's like. She's pretty sure that littering dynamite on school grounds would cause a massacre, which she wants to prevent. That's why she's trying to stop Gokudera.**

**[8] If I were Kazumi, I'd have misinterpreted this as some kind of dating break-up line. But that's just me.**

**[9] Yes, because in anime and manga, dynamite only blow up when the user wants it to, or when they pertains to the plot. Am I the only one who noticed that in real life, Gokudera's dynamite would blow up faster than the anime portrays them to? Probably not.**

**[10] 163 centimeters is a little over 5 feet 4 inches. 55.5 kilograms is approximately 122.4 pounds.**

**[11] This was intentionally spelled as "Fiama". It does not spell "Fiamma", the Italian word for flame.**


	5. Bullying and the Baseball Star

**Oh my gosh, I think I'm getting later and later in publishing new chapters by my personal deadline.**

**I had tried to post every other week, but then AP classes and sports were all, "_NO"_ and I ended up uploading much, much later than I had wanted to.**

**What I'm trying to say, behind all the blubbering excuses, is that I'm truly sorry for the lateness (even though I had warned you in the first chapter that I wouldn't be very regular).**

**Actually, I was going to post this chapter a week later, but then I remembered that I had finished this chapter and was working on the next (herp derp).**

**So, please read at your own leisure!**

**Disclaimer: I, Bluosity, do NOT own the world of Katekyo Hitman Reborn. The only things of my own making are my OC(s) and parts of the plot that are not part of the canon.**

**P.S. I don't know if anyone wants to know, but I wanted this chapter to take place in late October. I'm trying to imagine that each independent episode is about a week after the previous one. But if somebody could PM me the official timeline, if there is one, that'd be awesome.**

Chapter 5—Put your foot down on bullying! Plus, cheering up the baseball star!

Another October morning. Nezu-sensei, the science teacher, was passing out a science test. Tsuna, from my position at the back of the class, looked terrified. He was pulling out his hair in clumps, a lot like the way he'd pulled out Kensuke's hair at the kendo match.

"Kawada. Kurihara. Kondo." Nezu-sensei listed off as he passed back the test papers. Each student looked the same—expecting it but still unhappy with the score. [1]

And then, the moment came.

"Sawada."

"Yes." Tsuna stood up and made to grab his test, but Nezu-sensei took a second look at his test and tugged it out of Tsuna's reach.

"This is just hypothetically speaking," the science teacher started, his tone indicating anything but hypothetical situations. "But…let's just say there's a sole student that scores in the 20-point range and painfully lowers the class average." He adjusted his glasses, the frame glinting evilly. "According to me, who's come through an elite course, that kind of person will just be baggage and a burden on the education-conscious society."

Tsuna looked even more scared, if that were possible.

"Is there any reason for that kind of trash to live?" Nezu-sensei finished, intentionally holding out Tsuna's test loosely so that the whole class to see Tsuna's horrendous score. Of course, the rest of the class laughed (in relief)—it was guaranteed that Tsuna got the worst test score by a good thirty-five percent.

"I saw it!" one of the dumber boys laughed.

"Whoa! 26 points!" one of the girls in the middle row shouted out.

"He's still Dame-Tsuna." Another boy in the front dealt the final blow.

Nezu-sensei let the class laugh for a bit, smiling indulgently. Tsuna stumbled back to his seat, clutching his pitiful test score.

I wasn't laughing. Nezu-sensei was going too far with this. Wasn't there some kind of law that banned this kind of teacher bullying?

"Next, Suzuki." [2]

I stood up out of my seat, but didn't move otherwise. The class quieted, sensing my bad mood. It took Nezu-sensei, for all his so-called "elite" education, a bit longer to realize that I wasn't coming up to kiss his feet. "Suzuki," he called sharply. "What do you think you're doing? Come over and get your test paper."

I stayed still, looking him in the eye. I could see him sweating from the back of the classroom. He wasn't used to a student not listening to him. "Sensei, you shouldn't put down people for their test scores. You could lose your job if anyone mentioned this to his or her parents." I let that information sink in, implying a hidden threat.

Of course, like most self-centered teachers, Nezu-sensei swelled like a bullfrog, angry that a student would _dare_ to talk back. "This is hypothetically speaking," he blustered, "but let's say a student addresses her teacher disrespectfully. According to me, an elite graduate from an elite university, that student is disrespectful to education itself and would also be a burden to the society. Should there be a reason for others to tolerate such behavior?"

The class hushed. I could see Kyoko glancing worriedly between me and Nezu-sensei. She also hadn't laughed when Tsuna's test had been "accidentally" flashed to the class, but I knew she didn't want me to get in trouble.

I crossed my arms. "Also hypothetically speaking, let's say that a certain teacher encouraged bullying of one of his students. According to me, a student with common sense, that teacher is an insult to life itself. Should there be a reason for that teacher to still be a teacher?" Before Nezu-sensei could reply, I plowed on, spreading my arms wide in a your-logic-is-faulty-so-I-disrespect-you kind of way. "Your reasoning is ridiculous, sensei. Just because you say you're from an elite university doesn't mean that you have top authority."

I absolutely hated people who thought they were superior because of their higher test scores. It was because I didn't want to be seen that way that I helped my classmates with their homework and studying. It was also why I felt it was necessary to mock Nezu-sensei in the way he talked to the class—give him a taste of what he's giving the less academically gifted students.

He couldn't do much more than open and close his mouth like a goldfish. The class whispered to each other. I hadn't exactly hidden my dislike of the arrogant teacher who liked to mention his educational background too often, so it wasn't a secret that I hated his guts; they were surprised because this was my first time actually going farther than annoying him by ignoring his lessons and still getting top grades in class.

I was a bit surprised myself. Why was I doing this? For Tsuna? I didn't think so. At least, I was hoping that wasn't the reason; I wasn't obligated to go out of my way to help him. It was just because Nezu-sensei finally drove me off the deep end with his biased views—yeah, that was it.

At that moment, Hayato made a late appearance. Relieved at being able to take out his anger on somebody, Nezu-sensei began to reprimand Hayato. "Hey! You're late! What're you doing, coming in at this time?!"

Unfortunately, Hayato wasn't a pushover (like everyone seemed to think I was). Immediately, he gave a piercing glare that stopped Nezu-sensei from saying anything else. Then, doing a complete one-eighty, he greeted Tsuna enthusiastically. My brown-haired classmate looked uncomfortable with the situation.

Nezu (forget the –sensei; this kind of person didn't deserve the title) tried again with his lame intimidation method. "This is just hypothetically speaking, but let's just say that there's a student who carelessly comes to class late. Without question he hangs out with loser trash, because like-people gravitate towards each other—"

"Old man," Hayato whirled around and stalked towards Nezu, who looked frightened again. Hayato grabbed the older man by the front of his shirt. "I won't forgive any insults toward the Juudaime!"

"I said it was hypothetically speaking…" Nezu choked out.

I ran forward. As much as I wanted to let this guy rot for his biased ideals, and as much as I thought he deserved it, it was still illegal to murder a teacher. I had to stop Hayato from completely choking Nezu to death. I pulled his arm away, taking care to use Nezu's leg as a support for my foot. I'm happy to say that I left a noticeable shoe mark on the front of his pants. "Dude, you should at least ease up a bit."

"Shut up, woman," Hayato immediately spat, not even noticing my efforts to pull him off. He referred to Tsuna more respectfully. "Juudaime, should I drop this guy?"

Tsuna flailed, but eventually he got Hayato to let go of Nezu. Of course, the three of us were sent to the principal's office. I made sure to "accidentally" stumble and step on his shoes, which looked recently polished. Not anymore. [3]

I grinned inside, not letting anyone else notice. Bring it on, Nezu. If it's a fight for a position in school, I intend to win.

* * *

"You guys are expelled!" Nezu shouted at us. He was more confident now, believing that he had the advantage in this battlefield that happened to be the principal's office. Too bad that neither Hayato nor I were impressed with his bravado. It ruined the effect of what would have been more devastating to other students.

"Calm down, Nezu-kun." The principal attempted to calm down his employee. He wiped his sweaty brow with an overused handkerchief.

"How can I stay calm?" Nezu bristled. "I was assaulted physically and publically questioned of my authority! These three," he pointed at us accusingly, "should be immediately expelled with joint responsibility!"

The principal glanced fleetingly in my direction. I stared back with an eyebrow raised, knowing that he was being put in a corner—Nezu didn't know of my exceptional intelligence (though he was usually frustrated when I always one-upped him in science class); he wouldn't be trying to expel me otherwise. He tried to find a compromise. "But to just expel them now might be too hasty…"

"So giving them a suspension would be fine." Suddenly, Nezu seemed struck with a wonderful idea (which couldn't be possible, because he was as thick-headed as a boulder). "Principal, if I recall…" he slyly introduced. "There was a 15-year-old time capsule buried in the playground that couldn't be found and you were going to have professionals dig it up." He sneered in our direction, which only managed to work on the cowering Tsuna. "Let's have these guys do it. If they can dig up the 15-year-old time capsule by today, then this issue will be forgiven… But if they can't, they'll be expelled immediately!"

I swear that Tsuna was about to faint by this point. He really needed to grow a pair.

* * *

"No, Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna called after his classmate. He couldn't let the school get blown up! He was about to run after the bomber, but stopped when he heard a familiar voice.

"Man, you are messed up, Nezu-sensei." That came from his P.E. teacher. "Telling them to dig up a time capsule that isn't buried."

Nezu-sensei, casually crossing his legs and leaning against the desk, laughed. "The principal is who's messed up. He forgot that 15 years ago there happened to be no time capsule buried."

Tsuna tightly clutched the bundle in his hands, forgetting in his shock that he was holding a bunch of dynamite. _Wh-what the—!_

"Those bastards are expelled no matter what." Nezu-sensei smirked in his triumph. "Well, if they were ever to break the playground in half, then I might rethink it."

"No way!" Tsuna cried. What could he do, if he was tasked with looking for a time capsule that didn't even exist?

In his panic (and the following, unmistakable sounds of dynamite), he didn't notice the figure behind him slink off towards the principal's office, a rectangular object in one hand.

* * *

It turned out that Nezu wasn't the elite teacher he said he was. That would explain his obsession with his status. It also explained why he didn't teach at another, more reputable school. I'm sure higher-ranking schools would have checked into his background a bit more carefully and found out that he was actually from an F-ranked college. I can't believe he actually managed to get away with something like that, considering he wasn't academically gifted.

"Whew! I'm relieved we didn't get expelled." Tsuna sighed happily as he and Hayato exited the principal's office.

"Oh, come on, Juudaime," Hayato said. "You were seriously worried?" In response to Tsuna's confused expression, he declared dramatically, "I'll trade in my life to prevent anything like that from happening!"

"Gokudera-kun…" Tsuna looked very touched.

I butted in, "You don't really think that that would have guaranteed Tsuna's not being expelled?"

Tsuna jumped nearly three feet in the air. He whirled around, facing me. "Hieee! Suzuki-san!"

"Stupid woman," Hayato grunted. "What the hell are you talking about? Don't disturb Juudaime like that!"

I sighed. "I mean, just because Nezu's employment was terminated doesn't mean that the three of us wouldn't be held responsible for," I air-quoted, "'physical assault.' Plus, you split the school grounds nearly fifteen minutes ago, which usually would have caused Kyoya to come after you with a vengeance. You're lucky that I managed to smooth things over."

Yes, with my totally-awesome influence in the school (as both a Committee member and someone needed for her test scores), the tape recording of Nezu's confession [4], and the naturally submissive personality of the principal, I had only needed five minutes to convince him that it wasn't in his best interests to expel the three of us. Kyoya was a bit trickier, but I was able to misguide him. Instead of biting the two to death, he was going after some Namimori gangsters for rigging the school grounds with bombs, and forcing poor Tsuna to run around for his life.

But why was I telling them this? I was acting really strange today. First, I interrupted when Tsuna was being bullied, and now this. Well, of course this incident saved my ass, too, but I could easily have asked that only I not be expelled.

As I thought, maybe being around someone like Tsuna wasn't all that great. I was acting soft, and that would make me easy to track. No, I had to stop doing things like this.

"Isn't it great to have such a reliable subordinate?" Reborn (again, where'd he pop out from?) asked.

I frowned. Subordinate? I'm pretty certain Reborn wasn't talking about me, so that meant he was referring to Hayato. Sure, Hayato sometimes acted like one (only paying respect to Tsuna and calling him Juudaime), but that was a strange title, especially since Tsuna and Hayato were the same age. Subordinate for what, exactly?

Tsuna turned to face Reborn. "Wha-? Reborn!" Then , what Reborn said sunk in, and he protested violently. "I said I didn't want a subordinate! Besides, if two losers stick together, will Kyoko-chan ever have interest?"

Hayato, who had begun walking away, paused as he thought of something. "Oh yeah…" He held out one of his test papers and announced in a carefree way. "The tests in this school are a cinch, huh?"

I inspected his test. A hundred percent, huh? Considering that the standards Japanese education system were higher than those of the American system (and probably those of the Italian system, too), I was pretty impressed. Maybe living in Italy made you naturally smart? That was an interesting-and flattering-thought.

* * *

Tonight was one of my waitressing nights at Takesushi. I really enjoyed it there—not just for the salary, though that was nice, too. The store was clean, the customers were usually pretty nice, and my boss, Yamamoto Tsuyoshi (who was also Takeshi's father), happened to be the nicest and coolest adult around. He let me have some free sushi sometimes, and it always tasted _amazing_. It was almost like having Mama and Papa at home—warm, cozy, busy.

I was washing the tables when Takeshi came in from baseball practice. It had been a busy day, and quite a few of the customers had children who wanted nothing more than a food fight.

"Welcome home, Takeshi!" Yamamoto-san greeted jovially. "How was practice?"

Takeshi gave his signature grin. "Great, dad! I've got to train hard for the upcoming season!"

Yamamoto-san laughed. "Well, don't overwork yourself, all right? Your old man still needs your help preparing the sushi!"

I frowned (I've been doing that a lot lately). Something about Takeshi didn't seem right. Sure, he was smiling like he usually was, but…

"Something up?" I asked quietly, so that Yamamoto-san wouldn't overhear. I fiddled with the chairs, trying to make as much noise possible without seeming as though I was intentionally making noise.

Takeshi glanced at me in surprise. He forced a laugh, but spoke quietly so that his dad wouldn't hear. "It's nothing, Kazumi-chan. Thanks for asking though."

Something was definitely wrong, but if he wasn't going to say it, then I wouldn't pry. It wasn't my business unless he wanted to tell me. I shrugged. "Well, then, baseball lover, if nothing's wrong, help me put up the chairs. I need to sweep the floor."

"Haha, sure thing!"

"You guys sure do look good together." Tsuyoshi popped out of his kitchen. "Don't be surprised if Takeshi starts taking a liking, eh, Kazumi?"

"Yamamoto-san!"

"D-dad!" [5]

* * *

The day after, nothing much happened at school, except that Tsuna's team lost spectacularly in baseball during P.E., despite having Takeshi on the same team. But something did happen after school that I didn't know about until my night shift at Takesushi.

Today, the customers weren't as rowdy. At least, there weren't any kids who decided to throw precious salmon at the ceiling to see if it'd stick. And again, I was cleaning the tables. Yamamoto-san watched as he cleaned his knife.

"You're a hard worker, Kazumi," Yamamoto-san complimented. "I'm sure your parents appreciate having you around, eh?"

I smiled. "I suppose so. They're usually out on business, though, so I can't see them too often. That's why I like coming here; it's like a second home."

The sushi chef looked surprised, the grinned. "Yeah, come on over whenever you like, even outside of work! You're like the daughter I never had." He waggled his eyebrows. "Speaking of which, Takeshi's a good-looking boy. You might consider…"

I laughed. "Yamamoto-san! You sound like someone with a strong desire for grandchildren."

"Why not? It's a thought, right?"

"I'll think about it," I humored him, shaking my head. Of course, we were both joking. Yamamoto-san knew that I considered Takeshi as more of a friend than a love interest. It wasn't that he wasn't good-looking, but more that I wasn't looking for somebody right now.

The phone in the kitchen rang. "Oh? Wonder who it is?" Yamamoto-san asked as he walked over to the phone. "Hello?" A few moments of silence; then, Yamamoto-san slammed the phone down and hurried to get his coat.

"What's wrong, Yamamoto-san?" I'd never seen him get agitated. He was even forgetting to take off his chef outfit in his hurry.

"Takeshi's in the hospital," he hurriedly explained. "He broke his arm."

I slammed my rag on the table. "I'm coming, too."

* * *

"Oh. Hi Dad, Kazumi." Takeshi's eyes were dull, though I couldn't tell whether it was because of pain, dispirit, or a bit of both. He sat on a bench near the front desk, cradling his right arm in a white cast.

Yamamoto-san rushed forward, kneeled in front of Takeshi, and grabbed his son by the shoulder, being careful not to disturb Takeshi's broken right arm. "What were you thinking, Takeshi, practicing after school by yourself? What would have happened if a teammate hadn't found you?"

I stepped forward. "If Kashino hadn't found you when he did, your arm might have been unable to be placed back into its original position. As it was, you barely made it in time." I sat on the bench as well. "You should be more careful about your body. Once you take the wrong turn, it'd be hard to get it back in shape."

Takeshi gave a vague attempt at a smile. "Thanks for worrying, Kazumi, but really, I'm fine." He tried to laugh, but it came out too soft to be natural. "I guess this is just a message from the baseball god."

I didn't understand what he meant until the next day.

* * *

I opened the door to the school roof, looking for that damn guitar pick. I must've dropped it _somewhere_. It was a long shot, but it didn't hurt to check.

"Ah."

I looked up. There was Takeshi, leaning with his back against the rusty fen-why the _hell_ was he on the other side of the fence?!

"Takeshi, what do you think you're doing!" I rushed forward. "Get over here, where it's safe!"

He shook his head, his hand loosely gripped around the fence. "Nah, I'm good. It's about time for the game to end."

"What going on out here?" Kashino peeked out from the roof door. "What are you two-Yamamoto!"

"Kashino, get some help," I ordered him calmly. "Be quick about it." My voice was unshaken, but in my mind my thoughts were swirling around wildly. How could I stop him from comitting suicide? How?

"O-okay!" Kashino whirled and sprinted back inside.

For a moment, I tried to read Takeshi's body language. He stared back, his body relaxed but ready to let go if I tried to bring him back through force. His eyes were clear, but I could see sadness and determination.

I had to distract him somehow, at least until I found a way to convince him not to jump.

"You're making a big mistake, Takeshi." Where was that guy? Why was he so damn slow in getting help?

He smiled sadly at me as he leaned against the rusty railing. "Am I?"

I stepped forward cautiously, but stopped when he gave me a warning look. "Yes, you are. Think about it—what are you leaving behind when you jump? Tell me that."

He looked out over the horizon, staring at something I couldn't see. "Are you telling me not to jump, just because you're in the Committee?" His voice was bitter. "After all, a suicide in school would ruin its reputation."

Throwing all caution to the winds, I ran forward, grabbing his shirt to prevent him from falling. "You of all people know that I don't care for that stuff. I like working at Takesushi. I like hanging out with you. I like talking with you during school. You're influencing other people's lives when you jump, Takeshi. What's going to happen to Yamamoto-san when you're gone? You're his whole world."

He laughed. "Alright, it was wrong of me to say that. But you're wrong. The baseball god has abandoned me. What more do I have without baseball?"

I opened my mouth furiously to tell him off, but before I could, the door slammed open, and out came what seemed to be the whole of class 1-A. I felt blood rush through my head. When I said to go get help, I didn't mean to tell the class to watch Takeshi jump!

"Hey, Yamamoto, this isn't funny!"

"You're taking it too far!"

Yamamoto shrugged off my hand and addressed the crowd. "Sorry, but that's not true. After the baseball god threw me away I have nothing left."

The class as a whole gaped in shock. "No way… He's serious?!"

Suddenly, Tsuna came out of nowhere and fell on the ground. He looked around wildly, unsure of what to do.

Takeshi stared at Tsuna for a long time. Then, he said, "If you came to stop me it's no use. You should be able to understand my feelings." At Tsuna's bewildered face, he explained himself. "For someone who's called Dame-Tsuna all the time, you can understand the feeling of preferring to die over failing at everything, right?"

Tsuna stuttered, not knowing what to do. "H-huh? I…um… No… You and I are different, so…"

I sensed the immediate danger. Takeshi snapped. "How arrogant of the recently awesome Tsuna. So you're a fine student now as opposed to me?"

Tsuna, now understanding what his statement implied, protested, his arms waving everywhere in his need to get his point across. "N-no, that's wrong! It's _because_ I'm no good!"

Good, he managed to get Takeshi's attention.

"Unlike you, I've never put effort into one single thing. I arrogantly told you 'effort' and such, but I've really done nothing." He bowed low. "What I said yesterday was a lie… I'm sorry! Saying you're so frustrated that you want to die, or you want to die because of career-ending accident…unlike you, I've never had those kinds of intense thoughts." He looked down at his feet. "In fact, I'm a pathetic person who would have regrets when dying… thinking if I'm going to die then I should've done it with a dying will… thinking it's a waste to die from something like this…"

Takeshi still watched, mesmerized.

"So I can't understand your feelings. Sorry," Tsuna finished. After an awkward silence, Tsuna whirled around and tried to sprint away. "Later!"

So, Takeshi? Are you going to go ahead with the jump anyway, or actually take in what Tsuna said?

Thank God he took the second choice. "Wait, Tsuna."

He grabbed Tsuna by the shoulder, but at that moment, the brunet had decided to defy natural logic and trip backwards. Surprised by the lack of resistance, Takeshi pulled back too hard, and Tsuna crashed into the rusty fence. With a groaning _clang_, the fence fell apart, sending both boys to the edge of the building… and towards the ground.

"Holy sh—" Out of instinct, I grabbed the both of them by their legs, which left the ground last. Unfortunately, as physically fit as I was, I was no weightlifter. The momentum and weight sent _me_ over with them.

I'd like to say that I thought of something heroic, like I'd take the fall for them or something. To be honest, though, the surprise left me with such incoherent thoughts like, "CrapcrapcrapImogonnadie," "FucklogicIneedsomewingsnow," and, my favorite and most memorable, "AHHHHHHHHHHGFHADGANB!"

Being the calmest person out there, I prepared myself for a tragic death by flailing and screaming like a maniac, a bit like the way Tsuna had roared when I first met him.

Then, I'm pretty sure someone upstairs took pity on me and decided to let me live. I couldn't be quite sure, but I thought I saw a god with orange flames (and lots and lots of brown hair) rush toward me and grab me by the waist. I was also pretty sure that he yelled something like "Itchy!"

Then again, it might have just been my imagination.

But I couldn't explain how Takeshi, Tsuna, and I managed to survive the three-story fall otherwise.

"Are you okay?" Tsuna asked us. When did he rip out of his clothes? Was the acceleration too much of a strain on his shirt and pants? And, not that I wanted to see him naked (heaven forbid, that's just disturbing), if that were true, why were his boxers still on?

"Yeah," Takeshi said. Then, he smiled. "Tsuna! You're amazing." He leaned back, supporting himself with his uninjured arm. "Just like you said, you have to do it with a dying will." He laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "I don't know what I was thinking. Nothing good comes from my idiocy."

I slapped his head for good measure. "You got that right, Takeshi. You have to think about your close friends and family first before doing something so stupid."

"Haha, hai, hai!" No matter what I said to him, he just took it in that cheery way of his and continued to laugh. Eventually, I had to give up and just let him go.

And so Takeshi returned to normal (or as close to normal as you can be after trying to commit suicide), and he also made a new friend.

**Extra—Sawada Nana**

I stood outside Tsuna's door, unsure of what to do. I mean, I couldn't always give it to him tomorrow; there wasn't any real need to give it to him now. After all, we didn't have anything tomorrow. It felt awkward, standing in front of his house.

But before I could take another step (either forward or backward), the door opened, and someone who was definitely not Tsuna showed herself. She had short brown hair and wore a yellow apron. She had a very nice face, like those people whom you couldn't refuse because they were so nice. "Ara? May I help you?"

I shifted my weight from foot to foot. I hadn't been expecting somebody else to answer the door! "Er, hello. I'm Suzuki Kazumi. I live right next door, and I'm Tsuna's classmate. Um…" I held out a brown notebook. "I found this on Tsuna's desk after school, and I was going to return it to him. Is he here?"

"Hieeee! Suzuki-san!" I looked through the door and saw Tsuna cowering at the bottom of the stairs. "I-is there something I can help you with?"

I tossed his notebook to him, which he clumsily caught (with his face). "Here. I thought you might need this back, so I'm here to return it."

Tsuna looked surprised. Maybe he thought I came to beat him up or something. "T-thank you."

The brown-haired woman, who I assumed was Tsuna's mom, clapped her hands together. "Why don't you come inside? I'm making dinner right now."

"Mom!"

"Why not, Tsu-kun? She was nice enough to return your notebook." She turned to me expectantly. "So? Would you like to stay?"

I hesitated. Accepting would mean being one step closer to getting to know Tsuna. As much as I respected his dad, I _still_ think I was undecided on Tsuna himself. "I don't know, I have some homework—"

Then, the smell of food wafted from the kitchen to the door, and I was hooked. "…On second thought, I'd like that very much." I smiled. "Please excuse the intrusion!"

"You just want to eat!" Tsuna accused, but nobody paid attention.

* * *

As _signore_ always told me, Tsuna's mom (who insisted I call her Nana or Mama) cooked really, really well. I had to protect my dinner, though, because Reborn was also eating and kept stealing Tsuna's food. Tsuna, unfamiliar with having a friend over for dinner, I guess, could only yell at Reborn for theft, not really looking me in the eye.

"So, Reborn's your tutor?" I asked after Reborn stabbed Tsuna's hand with his chopsticks.

Tsuna stopped whimpering in his surprise. "H-how'd you guess?"

I shrugged. "He paid a visit when he first came and said he was teaching a loser student. I assumed he was referring to you, since I always see him around you."

"You didn't have to say 'loser student'…" Tsuna slumped.

I swallowed a bit of rice, savoring the taste. "You shouldn't be so sensitive about that, you know. I'm sure that whatever Reborn is preparing you for, you'll turn out fine. After all, a baby-faced tutor couldn't have become a tutor for nothing, right?" I paused. "And thanks for saving Takeshi from killing himself. He's a good friend, and I'm grateful that you used your new-found skills in convincing him to live."

"Suzuki-san…"

Oh, no, don't you think that I'm encouraging you, dude. I'm still trying to figure you out.

"Of course, I'm not saying that I have complete confidence in your skills yet. You're still Dame-Tsuna in everyone's eyes, even with your recent success." I chewed on some meat. Wow, Nana sure cooked well.

He fell out of his seat. "I should have known," he mumbled.

I paused in taking a drink of water. "Don't worry," I assured him. "Just prove them all wrong, like I did." I clapped my hands together. "Thank you for the meal."

"Are you done already?" Nana asked.

I turned to her. "You're a very good cook, Nana."

She put a hand to her face, waving my compliment away. "Oh, no, it's nothing," she sang, blushing at the praise. "If you like it that much, you can come over every day!"

I smiled. Nana was the nicest person around. Even if I was still unsure about Tsuna, I couldn't pass up the chance of good food. "I'd like that very much."

And that was how I came to be accepted by Sawada Nana, and became just one of many freeloaders.

[1] How am I supposed to describe this? Disgusted isn't really the right word. Neither is disappointed. You know, the way you feel when you know you did badly, but you were still hoping that you did better than you expected? And then reality hits you in the face. Yeah, I didn't know how to express that emotion, though I suppose "resigned" may be the best description.

[2] This is actually in the manga. I was pretty surprised myself. What a coincidence, eh?

[3] Kazumi can get pretty immature, though usually she acts in a more socially acceptable way. I'm hoping to find situations where she shows this habit to step on shoes and interfere with Tsuna's love life, etc. etc.

[4] That's the rectangular object that the "shadowy figure" (aka Kazumi, in case you didn't realize) was holding.

[5] Before anyone asks, no, I will not pair Kazumi with Takeshi. I just thought that Kazumi needed some guy friends, and I was too lazy to think of more OCs.


	6. Who's Adult Lambo?

**Hello, people!**

**It's a bit earlier than I expected, but I just finished chapter 6, so I decided to upload it today :)**

**However, that means that I probably won't upload again for, what, a month? So expect a long-ish lull in writing.**

**The reason I'm uploading now instead of waiting until next week is that I am becoming obsessed to listening to songs (like Nu'est's "Face" and Phil Collin's "You'll Be in my Heart"), watching Youtube stars play video games (Pewdiepie and Cry!), and playing Minesweeper, and if I don't upload this chapter TODAY I'll probably neglect uploading for a long, long time. Now that I don't have any chapters pre-written (again), I'll be forced to work on new chapters. So, that's my logic.**

**Anyways, it's a looooooooong chapter again. My deepest apologies, but I just can't find a good place to stop my chapters until maybe seven pages later. Though I don't know if people like that or not...**

**Disclaimer: I, Bluosity, do NOT claim the canon world of Katekyo Hitman Reborn! as my own. It belongs to Akira Amano, and I only lay claim to my OC(s) and some uncanon plot.**

* * *

Chapter 6-Who's Adult Lambo?

I'd been wondering why Kyoya had recruited me into the Committee. As logical as his explanation may have sounded if it had been anyone else, Kyoya was Kyoya. It'd be stupid to think that he wanted me for my grades (I mean, what would I do, intimidate students with my IQ? Scare them with my school ranking?). Wasn't the whole Committee made up of males who all happened to be reputed for their fighting skill?

It turns out that Kyoya probably wanted me to join for two reasons. One: get kids back to their classes using nonviolence. Being rather well-known for giving good study tips and not being snobby for it, I was pretty popular. I guess even the great Demon Prefect knew that he couldn't bite the troublemakers to death all the time—Namimori would be without (living) students for him to terrorize.

Two: extra manpower. Apparently, before I'd been around, the delinquents were required to do the school rounds at least once a month, and it was a big hassle because they also did daily night rounds around Namimori. Now that Kyoya had me, he decided to make me do all the school rounds on my own. _Every. Day_.

It wasn't so bad, though. At least I wasn't need for the night patrol. It was a win-win situation for him—use me for school patrol so that there actually is a school patrol; use the rest of the Committee (who now weren't required to do morning rounds) for… whatever they were doing at night.

Anyways, I was skirting the outside border when I heard the unmistakable sound of Hayato's toy dynamite. It sounded like it came from the inside, near the school water fountains. What was happening?

A bit later, I saw a flash of lightning head towards the center of the school. What the hell? I started running. I hope nobody was caught up in that!

When I got to the water fountains, I saw four figures, three of them familiar. Reborn, Tsuna, and Gokudera stared down at a tall man in a black suit-like jacket with… I squinted. Was that a _cow print shirt_?

"What's going on? Tsuna and Hayato, why aren't you guys in class," I pointed to Reborn, "why is Reborn here," I stabbed a thumb in the stranger's direction, "and who is this guy?"

"S-Suzuki-san!" Tsuna waved his arms around wildly, searching for a response.

Hayato, on the other hand, scoffed. "Why should we tell you?"

I glared at him, pointing an accusing thumb at his face. "Watch it. I'm not some fangirl who'll tolerate your crap." I put my hands on my hips. "Well? Care to tell me what's going on?"

Someone grabbed me from behind. "Kazumi-nee!" Something heavy pressed itself against my back, and soon I felt my clothes get wet. "I got hit by Reborn again!"

I stopped in the middle of elbowing the one invading my personal bubble in the head (which I guessed was what was pressed against my back). It wasn't so much that the guy was ugly—in fact, from what little I'd glimpsed while coming over, he was probably one of the better-looking guys I'd seen. But I didn't appreciate people who invade my space so closely, even if they were drop-dead hotties. "Who are you, and how do you know my name?" I asked suspiciously. I didn't think we'd have stalkers here in Namimori, not with someone like Kyoya around.

"Hieee! Adult Lambo knows Suzuki-san? What does that mean?"

Adult Lambo? That was a weird name. But an intruder was an intruder. I had to kick him off of school grounds. I grabbed "Adult Lambo" by the collar (which was a bit difficult, considering he was hugging me from behind) and proceeded to drag him towards the gates. "I don't know what you're doing here, dude, but you need to get off school grounds." I turned to the other three. "I better see you two in class, and I'd better not see Reborn around, by the time I get back."

But things didn't go as planned. While I was dragging the Lambo dude (who was still wailing—talk about crying me a river; this guy was a sobbing champ, snot and all), there was a puff of pink smoke, and instead of a guy about my age, I found myself holding a five-year-old kid in a cow suit by the seat of his pants.

Being the articulate person I was, all I could say was, "Uh…" What just happened?

The kid started struggling, though he wasn't going anywhere while his legs were a near meter and a half off the ground. "You better put Lambo-san down! Lambo-san is the greatest hitman in the world!"

I felt a shiver crawl down my spine—I think Hana's allergy to children was rubbing off on me; I could feel goosebumps at his shrill voice (or was it from what he was saying?).What was it with kids these days and the Mafia? "Look, kiddo… Lambo, right? Where are your parents? You shouldn't be in this school."

"Let go! Lambo-san won't tell you anything! Lambo-san especially won't tell you that he's five years old, loves grape candy, and wants to kill Reborn! Or that his family is in Italia!" [1]

I gently shook him to shut him up. "Hey, hey. You shouldn't go off about killing other people. It's not as easy as you think."

What was I supposed to do? I lost the Adult Lambo guy, but there was still this kid who also happened (coincidence much?) to call himself Lambo. And I couldn't just kick the kid out the school gates—that was more acceptable to do to teenagers, not children.

In the end, I decided to take him to the reception room. Even if his family was in Italy like he said (which I couldn't entirely believe—he was only five. What sort of family would let a kid his age run around in a foreign country on his own?), he must still have somebody watching over him. After all, he couldn't have snuck on to the airplane, could he?

I only hoped that Kyoya wouldn't mind.

* * *

Hibari was finishing up the day's paperwork. [2] Actually, to phrase it more accurately, he was glaring down at the offending paper, waiting for his Vice-President to come back and do the work for him. Where was Kusakabe, anyways?

The door clicked open, and he looked up to see his potential prey poke her head through the reception doors. "Um, Kyoya?"

"Suzuki Kazumi, you're supposed to be on patrol." He reached for his tonfas. Disobedience was not tolerated on his watch. "I'll bite you to death for slacking in school duties."

She held up her hands in protest. "Wait! It's just that I found a kid on school grounds!" She stepped inside the office, revealing a sniffling calf-child. "I wanted to know what you wanted me to do with him."

Hibari reluctantly released his grip on his weapons. He disliked demonstrating violence in front of young children (not that he'd admit it to anyone, even himself). "Hn. Leave him here and continue patrol, or I'll bite you to death."

Her face lightening up after realizing that he was sparing her life, she proceeded to set the child down on the ground. "Hey, Lambo, if you're quiet and stay in this room until I come back, I'll give you a treat, okay? But you have to be really quiet, or you won't get any."

Hibari, itching for a fight and knowing that he was ready to snap at any moment, threw his pen at her head. "Go back to patrol."

"Ow! That's not very nice, Kyo—"

_Thunk_. [3] "Get out."

* * *

"Hey, Kyoko?"

"Hm?" Kyoko looked up while still stirring her cake batter.

"What kind of cake would you recommend for a kid?"

"For a child?" She put a thoughtful finger to her lips, pausing her stirring for a bit to concentrate fully on my question. "Mmm… Maybe something with fruit? Fruit cakes are sweet, but healthier than chocolate cakes!"

Hana gave her piece of opinion without slowing down her pouring. "I'd recommend a coffee cake."

I sighed. "He's only five, Hana."

"So? I've drunk coffee since I was six. That's not much older."

"One, that's because you're so mature that you're allergic to children. For another, that explains why you're so shor—" [4]

Hana flicked some dredges of egg white in my direction.

"Strawberry cake it is, then," I muttered as I wiped the slimy mucus-like liquid off my face.

* * *

"All right, girls. Are we all ready?" Hana turned to face the crowd of girls gathering around the classroom door. In response, the rest of the girls quietly giggled, excitedly gripping their plates of cakes.

As for me, I didn't really have much of a reaction. Most girls were going to target Takeshi, Hayato, or their boyfriends. I didn't have a boyfriend, I hated Hayato (at least, I wasn't very fond of him), and I was pretty sure Takeshi would have enough from the girls to last him a year. And I had promised the kid that I'd reward him if he'd behave. That being said, of course I wasn't particularly excited about what would happen next.

Hana dramatically opened the class door, revealing the faces of the expectant boys of Class A. "Now… let's give our cakes to the boys!"

"Yeah!" Both boys and girls alike cheered.

"Kyoko-chan, who are you giving your cake to?" one of my classmates asked the oblivious school idol.

"Eh?" Kyoko thought to herself. She looked around the class, thinking about who she should bless with her baking. Well, not really, but the guys were probably making her cake out to be holy or something similar.

Tsuna abruptly rushed out of the guys' crowd, yelling something about stopping or whatever.

"Tsuna-kun, would you have my cake?" Kyoko asked. She held out her plate of cake.

Wait a second. Something was different about Kyoko's cake. It wasn't different physically, I think, but… I didn't feel like it was the same cake Kyoko had baked just minutes before.

I took a closer look. "You sure this is your cake, Kyoko? You didn't accidentally swap cakes with somebody else?"

"Hm? No, I don't think I did," Kyoko replied, bewildered, as she also look down at the plate she was holding. Well, if Kyoko thought it was hers, it probably was. Maybe I was just being paranoid.

"Um, um…" Tsuna was, as usual, searching for a coherent reply to his not-so-secret crush.

"You don't like sweet things?" Kyoko asked sadly, pouting in that adorable and unintentionally guilt-tripping way that only she could do.

I crossed my arms (careful not to drop my own slice of cake) and glared menacingly at my short classmate. "Are you really going to leave her hanging? You sure you want to do that?" If he hurt Kyoko's feelings, I would _destroy_ him.

Being the timid boy that he is, Tsuna couldn't possibly say no—he'd ruin his blooming friendship with _his crush_ and also risk being castrated by me. But he was still scared enough of _something_ about eating Kyoko's cake that he hesitated for a bit.

"Oh, is that your cake?" Takeshi asked as he walked over to where the three of us were standing.

Kyoko turned to Takeshi, probably thinking that Tsuna didn't want to eat her cake. "Would you like some?"

Yamamoto laughed as he reached for a slice of cake. "Haha, sure!" He was just about to take a big bite when Tsuna swatted it out of his hands.

"If you eat that, you'll die!" he cried out.

A pause.

Then, I felt the hairs on the back of my rise as I felt murderous intent seep though my blood. "Are you trying to imply that Kyoko's baking is so bad that she'd poison you?"

"Calm down, Kazumi," Takeshi nervously but cheerfully tried to calm me down. The last time I'd taken my anger out on somebody, it had not ended well.

"Hieee! I-I can explain—"

_**Bang**_.

Instinctively, I crouched down, bringing the people closest to me, Takeshi and Kyoko, down to my height. "Get down!"

Unfortunately, Tsuna was not half as lucky. He toppled backwards, blood spurting out from a wound in his forehead.

I froze. Tsuna's body lay sprawled out haphazardly. He could have been sleeping if it weren't for the _giant hole in his head_.

But his near-comatose state didn't last long. Within moments, the fallen teen lurched to his feet, again becoming the famous Underpants Man that was so popular lately.

Still, I couldn't get the image out of my mind. My vision swam, and I felt something rise in my throat.

Takeshi shook my shoulder. "Kazumi, you okay?" he asked concernedly. He hadn't even reacted to a dead body being on the ground.

I pushed his hand away. "I think I'm gonna be sick." I ran out the door, leaving Kyoko and Takeshi behind, looking very confused.

* * *

Reborn watched the scene unfold from his position outside the classroom. Thanks to his prodigious skill and the effects of the Vongola Famiglia's special effects bullets, Tsuna was having no trouble eating his way through the class's cakes.

But Suzuki's actions were strange. Nobody else had noticed Tsuna's brief death, and that was because Tsuna's bullet wound was so small and so quickly healed that his fall was just seen as a regular clumsy habit. Yet she'd reacted as though she'd seen the bullet penetrate, and just before it had gone though, she'd pulled down the ones closest to her in an attempt to dodge his shot.

It wasn't a movement that came from just practice. She must have been in a similar situation at least a hundred times before. That was the only possible explanation for her near instantaneous response.

What the hell had she been doing at that Blanc school? [5]

* * *

I nearly dry gagged as I knelt in front of an empty patient's bed. I could still see Tsuna's limp body swimming in my mind's eye.

Was that what happened whenever Tsuna unexpectedly tripped backwards? That was the first time I'd been up close when he had one of his collapsing moments. If that was true, how was it possible that he came back to life? The bullet _had_ to have gone straight into the frontal lobe, at the very least.

And if I'd known unconsciously that Tsuna was going to come back to life, why had I reacted so violently?

For a moment, another image of another person, sprawled out the same way, clawed its way into my thoughts. The blood, the bullet hole directly in the middle of the head, the—

I pinched myself. Hard. I couldn't think about gruesome things like that. I just couldn't. I'd go crazy thinking about it.

"That's it!" I whirled around to see a silhouette sitting rigidly in another patient's bed. From the voice, I knew who it was, but Hayato was hidden by a white curtain. "He looks just like—"

Thankful for a distraction, I ripped the curtains back. "Who are you talking about?"

Hayato jumped nearly half a meter in the air from shock. "What the hell are you doing here?" His voice cracked at the end of the sentence, and he cursed in Italian so badly that I could have stuck a bar of soap in his mouth. [6]

I leaned back into the bed. "I could ask the same of you. I didn't think you'd be the kind of person who would get sick easily."

He bristled. Growling, he plopped back into his bed. "None of your business."

I breathed deeply though my nose. Beating him up wouldn't help anybody. I rubbed the back of my head to get rid of the lingering feeling of violence. "All right, I think we got off to a rough start. Maybe it'd be better if we reintroduced ourselves civilly." [7] I stuck out a hand. "I'm Suzuki Kazumi, though I prefer that people call me by Kazumi, and I was raised in America. You?"

He stared at my hand suspiciously, but shook it after a long moment of thinking. "Gokudera Hayato. From Italy."

"Do you mind if I call you Hayato? I'm used to calling people by their first names."

He grunted, beginning to turn over in the bed. "Do what you want."

I glanced at the cake I'd brought over with me from class. It was still a bit warm, but I wasn't particularly hungry. "Do you want some cake? I made it, but I left before I could give it to anyone." I offered the plate to him.

Again, he stared at me suspiciously, then glanced at the cake. He seemed to hesitate even more when he saw the roll-like dessert.

"It's not like I would _poison_ it, Hayato," I sighed, partly joking and partly exasperated about his naturally hostility and distrust.

"…" He still hesitated. It looked like what I'd said had made him even _more_ suspicious, though I couldn't possibly understand why.

"What is it about the cake that you don't like?" How disappointing. I thought most people were partial to strawberries. I was about to pull the plate away, but then he replied.

"It's just… is that the Italian recipe?" His expression changed, morphing from an impassive face to… almost homesick.

The wistful and nostalgic look on his face surprised me. Who know that he'd have such an expression? I couldn't help softening towards him. "Yeah. I used to love eating Papa's cake, and he taught me how to bake it so I could do it myself."

He squinted at me. "You're Italian?"

Oops. I let that slip. "I'm half. Mama's Japanese. I'm in touch with both cultures, though." His tone made me draw my eyebrows together. "Say, are you also Italian?" I knew that he lived in Italy before, but he didn't look particularly Italian. Then again, neither did I.

He looked out the window, an unreadable expression on his face. For a long, awkward moment, he said nothing. The atmosphere was a thick as syrup. I nearly squirmed with discomfort.

"Well, if you don't want to tell me, then I won't pry." I set the plate down on the cabinet beside him. "I'll put this here. You don't have to eat it, but don't let me catch you throwing it away, got it?" And without waiting for a reply, I walked out the door.

Well, I guess that was a success, sort of. His silence probably meant that he was at least part Italian, but maybe he wasn't particularly fond of his family? I suppose I could relate to that.

"Out of the way, we've got someone sick here!" Takeshi turned the corner and ran towards me, calling out to get people to step out of the middle path. He and Tsuna were carrying between them a familiar teen with a black and white dress shirt. His name was Adult Lambo, right?

As they passed by me, I noticed that the strange guy's face was extremely pale, partly from being sick and partly from little pieces of what looked like… was that cake?

I stared after the strange group, watching until they entered the nurse's office. It was probably best not to get involved. Turning on my heels, I strode back to class. Lately, Tsuna was in the center of all the excitement. And that was great and all, but sometimes a girl just wanted some rest.

Besides, I'd promised Lambo that I'd give him some cake.

* * *

[1] I know that Lambo did something like reveal his whole profile when he first appeared in the anime. I assume that he does that with everyone?

[2] I honestly don't understand why I include Hibari's perspective in a lot of my chapters. But it's a lot easier to include him and Reborn then somebody like, say, Gokudera. Don't ask me why, because even I don't know how my mind works.

[3] Hurr hurr, that's one heavy pen. Actually, it's a tonfa.

[4] I've been wondering, but is it really true that drinking coffee prevents you from growing? It's an interesting thought.

[5] Oh, yes, a failed attempt to foreshadow a future, made-up plot. I'm still working on it, by the way.

[6] I don't really make it obvious here, but Gokudera doesn't know that Kazumi is part Italian and understands every word he says.

[7] People might be thinking that Kazumi is a bit OOC because she's trying to make friends with Gokudera after a week or so of intense dislike, but remember that she's a very logical person. Hating somebody for just one act of rudeness is a bit harsh, even for her, so she's trying to make up for it.


	7. Haru, the Secret Pedophile

**Hello, all those wonderful people out there! It has been a long time (at least, for me)**.

**Bluosity is back, as you can see from this chapter.**

**Apologies for the big time gap between this and Chapter 6. My grades have been dropping a bit, and I needed to invest a bit of time to get them back up. Plus, drawing really takes the energy out of me. It's like I have a limited (and severely lacking) daily supply of artistic inspiration, and I need that supply for drawing because I made myself adhere to a project in which I draw a picture for each character for their birthday.**

**So basically, I was just being lazy and hardworking at the same time (?).**

**But anyways! I also apologize for the apparent lack of development in the story, as well as the abrupt chapter ending. I'm still trying to find my style, and it's not going so well... Still, hope you at least don't start throwing tomatoes (or worse, _potatoes_) at the story.**

**Bluosity, signing off!**

**P.S. I, Bluosity, do not own the canon world of Katekyo Hitman Reborn! This privilege belongs solely to Akira Amano. I only own any and all OC's and any plot not in the canon plot.**

**If I did own Katekyo Hitman Reborn!, why would I be writing fanfiction about it?**

Chapter 7—Haru, the "Secret" Pedophile

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep!_

"That'll be 800 yen, please!" [1]

I rummaged in my wallet (which was getting a bit thinner these days—remind myself that I need to hit the bank soon [2]) and pulled out a 1000 yen bill. As I waited for the cashier to get the change, I noticed a familiar figure outside the window, frantically tying a bandana over her head. She wasn't doing too well since she looked like she was trying to tail somebody at the same time.

"Here's your change, and have a nice day!"

Giving a nod to the cashier, I speed walked out the market and followed after the unskilled stalker.

* * *

She peered around the wall that stood outside the Sawada residence. Her nose really, really itched because of the handkerchief that was five times too small for her head, but there was nothing she could do about it. She needed a disguise, and it was the only thing on hand at the time.

"Haru, what are you up to this time?"

"Hahi!" Haru swore her heart stopped when she felt the hand on her shoulder. She spun around, prepared to scream her way out of the dangerous situation, until she saw it was her fellow cosplaying friend. "That was very dangerous, desu! Kazumi-chan almost made Haru's heart stop!"

Kazumi-chan, ever the more serious one of the two, frowned in disapproval. "Dangerous is standing outside somebody's house for more than a minute. Anybody could have snuck up on you like I did."

Haru's ears burned. "But Haru has to rescue the pretty baby from being corrupted by that horrible boy!"

Her companion raised an eyebrow, glancing at the house they were standing in front of before looking back at Haru. "Are you talking about Reborn? He's tutoring Tsuna, probably against Tsuna's will. It's not the other way around."

Haru fumed in anger. How dare that boy brainwash both Reborn-chan and Kazumi-chan! She would be sure to teach him a lesson he wouldn't soon forget!

In an amused tone, as though she knew exactly what Haru was thinking, Kazumi-chan advised, "At least get to know him before you start hating on him. [3] Invite yourself into the house or whatever." She turned and started walking away. "In the meantime, I'll be going. See you around, Haru."

* * *

"Ne, Ikuto-kun! Have you heard of Ren-kun?"

I looked up from my guitar, pausing in fiddling with the pegs. "I've played a few of his songs before. Why?"

The excited high school student held out a much-abused magazine. On the front cover was a picture of a slender, blond young man. "This issue came out this morning, and it says that Ren-kun is starting a tour in Japan this month!" She and her fellow friends squealed in excitement. "And since he's making his comeback with his newest digital single here first, we were hoping that you could play it."

I shot them a smile. "Sure, why not? For you beautiful ladies, there isn't much I wouldn't do." [4] As always, they replied with the brightest blushes I'd ever seen.

But the news about Ren touring in Japan was worth looking into. An unusual combination of English and Korean, Ren Walker was the year's best rookie by far. He was a prolific singer, releasing three hit singles and an album since his debut in January.

I stole another glance at the magazine cover. Ren was already immensely popular in Korea, America, and much of England for both his good looks and all-around skill. Why would he promote so early in Japan? It hadn't even been a full year.

I couldn't help my lips quirking upwards. This was quite interesting.

"Do you mind if I read this, ladies?" I flashed them a winning smile. "I'm quite interested in learning a bit more, if you don't mind."

The girls squealed. "Kyaa! Of course you can keep it, Ikuto-kun!" They held their hands in their cheeks in an attempt to hide their blushes.

I couldn't help from smiling a bit on the inside. It was always flattering to be seen as attractive, even by the same gender.

* * *

"Ara, Kazumi-chan!" Nana exclaimed when she opened the door. "Tsu-kun and his other friends are upstairs."

"Excuse the intrusion," I said as I came in. "Thank you for having me in your house, as always, Nana."

She waved off my thanks. "It's nothing!" she trilled. "I'm actually very thankful to you for being friends with Tsu-kun!"

"Err, okay. You're welcome?" I wasn't a _friend_, per say, but I certainly wasn't thinking (too much) about making Tsuna's life hard. "Well, I'll go upstairs and, uh, join them."

When I got to Tsuna's room [5], I witnessed a very odd scene. I stood face to face with a pretty Italian woman with pink hair. She wore a tank top and tight black pants. I only had to shift my eyes to the side a bit to see a tattoo on her left arm. Right behind her was Hayato, lying on the ground.

All in all, she was beautiful, but quite intimidating.

"Uh, ciao. Are you an acquaintance of Reborn?" Because I was pretty sure that Tsuna wouldn't have such a hot lady friend, unskilled in attracting the opposite sex as he is.

Her green eyes sharpened. "How do you know Reborn?" Her tone held a dangerous undertone. She reached for the plate of snacks on Tsuna's desk.

I held up my hands in defense. "Hey, no need for crackers in my hair. Apparently my parents are old-time friends with him." Why was she so hostile all of a sudden?

"Hahi! Kazumi-chan!"

"Haru? What are you doing here?" I peered over the woman's shoulder to see Haru sitting at the table with Takeshi and Tsuna.

"Haru is fighting to free Reborn from this person, desu!" She pointed accusingly at Tsuna. "If Haru solves question seven first, then Reborn-chan can come home with her."

"…Right." Pedophilic implications aside, I still had to deal with one strangely angry woman. "I, uh, have no intention of doing any harm to Reborn, if that's what you're thinking." Maybe she was his sister, and that was why she was so hostile? It didn't hurt to take a stab at it.

Thankfully, she relaxed and set down the plate of snacks on the table. Then she left the room without another word.

I stared after her. "That was… weird."

Takeshi laughed. "That's Bianchi, Gokudera's older sister. She's really pretty, isn't she?"

"Yeah, I guess she is."

Haru waved me over. "Kazumi-chan! Help us solve this problem!"

"Sure, I guess. I've got nothing better to do." I stepped around Hayato's body and sat down beside Haru. "So what's the problem?"

Takeshi handed me his paper. "We've got everything except for question 7. Do you think you can solve it?"

I glanced at it.

_Prove that when 100 sheets of paper 11.5 cm long on each side will stack up perfectly when dropped from a height of 3 meters._

"…"

"Kazumi-chan?" Haru asked worriedly.

"Hm? Oh, sorry, it's just that I was expecting it to be more challenging, to be honest." I mean, who puts a logic puzzle in math homework? "You actually—"

_Whack_.

"Ouch!" I grabbed the item that had hit me in the eye. But it wasn't a thing. It was a _freaking chameleon_. "What the heck is this, Reborn!"

"Ah, that's Leon," Reborn commented casually. "He just jumped from my hands and happened to hit you in the face."

"Like hell he did!" I glared at him in annoyance, but stopped when I saw what he was holding. Mother of all that is holy, it was _chocolate_. A humongous, king-size bar of _chocolate_. Reborn's eyes gleamed; you could totally tell what he was trying to say. _Say nothing and you get the largest bar of chocolate you will ever see_.

Or something along those lines.

"Kazumi-chan?" Haru repeated.

I made a split second decision. As much as I considered Haru a nice girl, that _chocolate_. "…On second thought, my bad. Looks like my answer is wrong." I put my hands together in a prayer-like fashion and tried to look remorseful. "Sorry!"

Tsuna's head nearly split the desk in his faceplant. "Don't sound so sure if you're just going to be wrong!"

* * *

"Haru is in love, desu!" Haru suddenly announced on one of our little shopping excursions together.

I wasn't particularly surprised by her declaration. Being the eccentric cosplayer that she was, she always had brief moments of obsession with a style or fashion. "Really?" I asked as started eating my chocolate cake (Oh, gosh, Cake and Bread made the _best_ baked goods anywhere. I could just eat the whole _shop_). "What are you so interested in this time?"

"Tsuna-san, desu!" she cried out dreamily as she clapped her hands together.

I choked on some icing and had to thump my chest for a bit to clear out my throat. "Tsuna?" I coughed. "Didn't you call him a 'horrible boy' just a few days ago? What brought up the sudden turnaround?"

Haru's eyes sparkled the way only the eyes of those excessively in love could sparkle. I swear, it was flat out blinding. "Tsuna-san rescued Haru from a dangerous death yesterday, desu! He was very passionate, Kazumi-chan! How could Haru not fall in love?"

"Was he half-naked?"

Haru blushed. "Kyaa! It was a very manly gesture!"

"Uh huh, and it was also the only reason why he had the balls to rescue you." I regretfully put my fork down. "He's a bit of a coward most of the time, to be honest. Even I can see that after being in close proximity for about a month. And he usually doesn't do things like that until he's stark bare except for his boxers." And a bullet through his head, let's not forget that. "I dunno, Haru. You're probably better off with Takeshi. Hell, even Hayato's probably a better choice. At least they're manly-ish."

"But Tsuna-san is the one who saved Haru, desu! Haru can't help falling in love!"

I rubbed the side of my face. Haru was a great seamstress and had great taste in fashion and all, but she was a bit airheaded when it came to these things. "Well, it's not like I can change your mind if you feel so dead set on it. I'm just going to say that you'll have a hard time trying to get him to see you that way."

Haru leaned forward conspiratorially. "Does Kazumi-chan have somebody she loves?" Her eyes sparkled, just like a certain other girl's (meanwhile, at the Sasagawa home, Kyoko sneezed and looked up from her knitting in confusion). "Haru won't tell anyone, promise!"

"To be honest, I don't think you can _love_ anybody romantically at this age." I tried avoiding the question, but Haru was just being so damn persistent. "Oh, all right. Not like it matters, since practically half the female population in America are," I air quoted, "'in love' with him. As a matter of fact, there is somebody who I take an interest in at the moment."

"Wow! He must be really famous, desu!" Haru exclaimed. "Who is he?"

"He's touring in Japan at the moment, actually. Have you heard of Ren?"

"Ren-kun? A lot of girls at school talk about him, desu. He is very handsome, and has good taste in fashion!" Haru nodded approvingly. "Haru would also like him if she didn't have Tsuna-san."

"Yeah…" I picked at my cake again, suddenly not feeling so hungry anymore (rather, not _as_ hungry). Was it a good idea to open up so much? Well, it wasn't as though nobody's heard of him. And a lot of people have a crush on him. It wouldn't be unusual for me to talk about him, right? I was probably thinking too much into it.

After all, he was a superstar now.

* * *

Extra—Haru

Meeting Haru wasn't really that hard. I was looking for a little group in Namimori that had a casual cosplay group, and there happened to be just one. But damn, was it _hardcore_.

"Welcome, newcomer!" The president cheered as she shook my hand. She wore a blond wig with bun-like ponytail-thingies and a sailor's uniform. She also carried a black cat on her shoulder. "The Cosplay Association is proud to have you as our newest edition!"

"Er, nice to meet you? I'm Suzuki Kazumi, and I guess I'm glad to be here."

She clapped me heartily on the back. "Excellent! Now, since you're a new member, let's introduce you to the board!" She proceeded to drag me around the building rented out exclusively for the Costume Group or whatever the name was. "This is our vice-president, who organizes all the meetings and takes my place when I'm not here blah blah blah blah blah blah…"

Okay, so maybe it wasn't such a good idea to just tune out and nod whenever somebody stopped talking. But I wasn't really here to be good friends with everyone. I just wanted to get some good tips on cosplay and then get the hell out. "Uh huh, nice to meet you… Please take care of me… I'm Suzuki Kazumi…" The conversations went on and on and it was just so _boring_.

"…And this is Miura Haru-chan, our best seamstress!" The president, whose name I already forgot, introduced the last member of the group (finally! Why were there so many people?) "She's graduating to junior high next year, which makes her the youngest member besides you, but she's very skilled with sewing, designing, knitting, basically everything and anything to do with fashion and cosplay!"

I held out a hand. "Nice to meet you," I repeated for what felt like the umpteenth time tonight.

Instead of shaking my hand like any other person, though, she gripped it with two hands and pumped it like I'm a seesaw. "Hahi! I'm so glad that there's somebody my age here now, desu! Haru hopes that we can have a very good friendship together!"

"C-Coul-ld you pl-lea-lease let go-o of-f my han-nd now-ow?" I tried to say it without biting my tongue off. "I-it's go-oi-ing to-o fa-all of-ff so-on!"

"Hahi!" She let go of my hand quickly. "Haru is sorry, desu!" she exclaimed while bowing repeatedly. "Haru was just so excited that she overreacted!"

I rubbed my hand, feeling the blood pump back. Well, she was definitely an overexcited person. It was probably a bad idea to be close friends with her.

Then again…

She was the only one who really caught my attention since my move to Namimori. She had a memorable and reasonably likable personality. And she happened to be around the same age, unlike the older members here. And she was a _civilian_, a normal person.

Maybe… maybe I could make friends, just this once.

* * *

**[1] 800 yen amounts to a little over 10 USD—like, 10.17?**

**[2] As weird as that sounded to me, KAZUMI IS NOT GOING TO ROB THE BANK. She's got an account.**

**[3] How very hypocritical, no?**

**[4] Urg. Cheesy, cheesy GOOSEBUMPS**

**[5] Since she's been over for dinner very frequently, she knows her way around the house pretty well. Plus, her house is right next to Tsuna's, and it has the same basic architecture.**


	8. Lesson Learned

**Hey, guys! Bluosity here.**

**Like I mentioned on my update (see my profile if you're bothered to click on it), I promised that I would update sometime within two weeks. So here it is-the latest chapter of SaW.**

***herp derp. I just realized what the initials of this story spell. I find it hilarious, for some reason***

**My school's off on a whole week for Thanksgiving break, so I might be able to update another chapter next week (if I don't forget/get lazy, which is surprisingly hard to do). So if I do remember, look forward to next Sunday, I guess.**

**Anyways, enjoy the next chapter!**

**Bluosity, signing out.**

Chapter 8—Lesson Learned

"Oi, newcomer!" One of the more annoying Committee members (like I'd know his name—every single one of them looked the same, pompadour and all) called out. "Leader wants people guarding the reception room. I need you to take my place."

I felt a surge of irritation that wasn't just because of lack of sleep. "And why me? Aren't there, like, five others guarding with you, plus twenty on standby?"

He grunted, flicking some stray hair out of his face. "You're the rookie. It's your obligation to start doing stuff for the Committee. Besides, we're doing the work that you should be doing right now. [1]"

Urg. I couldn't argue against that. "…Fine. I'll guard the stupid reception room for you."

"Do it right, or Leader won't be the only one who'll deal with you," he warned as he hurried away. Probably to go smoke or something, that privileged scumbag.

I threw a random whiteboard eraser at his head. "Yeah, just assume I'll screw up, sexist d-bag!"

…

I think I really needed to get some sleep soon. Heads were gonna roll if I don't.

* * *

"Ciaossu, Suzuki." I kid you not, a _gigantic_ chestnut came crawling up the school wall and perched on the edge of the windowsill.

"Hhh!" I accidentally slammed against the wall when I jumped back in shock. "Fuck, that hurts!" I hissed.

The chestnut jumped off the windowsill and landed in front of me. "Don't you recognize me?"

"Why would I know a chestnut—wait." I pointed a finger at the spiky object, but not close enough to get pricked. "Reborn! Why are you in a chestnut outfit?!"

"It's a costume Bianchi made for me." Reborn smirked. "I use it for recon. It's quite useful when I want to avoid detection." He spun in a circle, exhibiting his costume to the fullest. "What do you think? A surprise in the form of a big chestnut, right?"

I sighed, trying to slow my heart rate. "I don't know what you're talking about, but you shouldn't be here. You probably won't know this, but Kyoya patrols the school in the mornings. He's not going to appreciate non-students being in school."

"Hm. I think I can handle it." Reborn turned and hopped down the hallway. "Ciao, ciao!"

Well, that was random. I wonder why he turned up all of a sudden?

* * *

"What are you doing? Who allowed you in here? Was it Suzuki?"

I turned to the reception room, annoyed to hell. Why did everyone assume it was me? It wasn't my fault Reborn came out of nowhere and started talking nonsense about disguises and chestnuts and surprises. I could only focus on one thing at a time at the moment.

"What the hell do you want?" a familiar voice growled. Of course, where Hayato went, violence and manly "bonding" time followed. Or at least, that's what is sounded like, considering the grunts and thuds that I heard.

_Slam._

"What the hell are you guys doing in here?!" I crossed my arms and tapped my foot. "I do not appreciate five guys getting beat up and just left there. At least clear them away, if you're going to beat on them."

"Oh, Kazumi!" Takeshi waved with one hand while holding a cup of coffee in another. "Sorry, we just wanted a good place for Tsuna to rest. The baby recommended it."

I glared at Reborn. "So that's why you were talking about all that shit before. So you could sneak these guys into the reception room?" Of course, Reborn only smirked. "Ugh. This is why I dislike your appearance as a baby. You'd be so much easier to hate if you looked your age." I turned to Hayato and Takeshi, my annoyance just building up. "Look, I get that you want your friend to get better, but it's not that great an idea to do it here."

"And why not?" Hayato challenged. "Reborn-san said it was rarely used. And it's got the perfect atmosphere and position for our base."

"I don't know what base you're talking about, but you should really get out of here before Kyoya gets back. He's got a freaky intuition when it comes to people crowding his office."

"Kyoya? You mean—"

"They can't even handle being watchdogs."

Oh shit. Oh shitohshitohshit. My life is going to end soon.

"Suzuki Kazumi. You let these herbivores crowd together."

Gulp. "Reborn! This is all your fault," I hissed to him. He just sipped his coffee, the apathetic jerk. "Hey, Kyoya, this is all just a misunderstanding." I laughed feebly, and my sleep-deprived mind tried to look for a possible situation. All I could think of was the imminent threat of concussion by tonfa. "Haha, don't kill me…"

"Oh, so you're with them?"

No, Hayato, now was _not_ the time to display your manliness and try to macho your way out of this!

"This room is now the Vongola Family's hideout." Hayato, the suicidal idiot! He just waltzed right up to his face!

I grabbed his shirt and pulled him back. Just in time, too—Hibari's famous tonfas whipped just past his face and broke his mug of coffee instead.

"W-what the—?!" Hayato wrestled out of my grip and jumped back, warily watching his new opponent.

"I hate weak bottom-feeders like you who band together." Kyoya took out both his tonfas. "When I see one, I want to bite them to death."

Welp! That's my cue to leave! I skirted around the room, heading for the window. "I hate to ruin the atmosphere and all, but I'll just, you know, save my neck and do a Houdini. I'll be taking my leave!" Without warning, I jumped out the open window and landed in the tree I knew was right next to the reception room. "Sorry, you two! I'll send you flowers at the hospital!"

* * *

One week later

"Haaah…" There was no other word for it. Note to self, running from Kyoya was not such a good idea. I'm pretty sure there was a bruise (a euphemism for bruise_s_) on my arms.

"Hahi? Is something wrong, Kazumi-chan?"

"No, just a little bit tired." Of bullshit. I do not want to go through that again. Screw Reborn's cuteness, I refuse to get taken in by him again. It was not going to be good for my health. I turned to the café worker who was waiting for our order. Just another day out with Haru. At least it was relaxing. "I'll take a hot chocolate with one of those brownies."

"Haru will have some green tea, please!"

As we exited the café with our takeout drinks and snack, I spotted a shortie walking around, showing a picture to passerby.

"Hahi! What a strange baby!" Haru commented when I pointed the sight out to her. "Maybe he is looking for his parents?"

"Maybe…" I was unconvinced. The baby looked very determined to look for whoever or whatever was in the picture. Besides, I didn't think a kid would show a picture of his parents rather than ask people directly. Another weirdo, like Reborn and Lambo? Then it probably wasn't a good idea to approach him. "Look, Haru," I exclaimed, pointing to the opposite direction. "It's the new sweater we were looking for!"

"Hahi! Let's go get it, Kazumi-chan!"

Mission accomplished.

* * *

"Kazumi-chan seems really tired today," Kyoko commented as we walked together to school. "You've gotten a bit paler, too. Have you been sleeping lately?"

I smiled to reassure her, though I ruined it by rubbing my eyes with the back of my hand. "I'm fine, Kyoko. Don't worry about me."

"But…"

"You worry too much," I laughed. "By the way, where's Ryohei? Out jogging again?"

"Actually, he's walking with his friend this time," she giggled. "I'm happy he's having fun with his friends instead of training all the time."

I spotted a blue object on the ground. "Hey, isn't that Ryohei's bag?"

"Ah!" Kyoko ran to where Ryohei carelessly left his stuff. "Mou, onii-chan is being irresponsible! Do you mind running so we catch up to him?"

"No, I don't mind. Shall we go?"

It wasn't too hard catching up to him, to be honest. He looked like he was trying to recruit some poor sucker into joining the boxing club. Go figure.

"Onii-chan! Geez, you left your bag on the road!" Kyoko ran up to him, holding the bag out for him to take.

"Oh! Kyoko! Sorry about that."

"Ah! Tsuna-kun! Good morning!"

"G'morning." I did not feel in the mood for a friendly greeting.

Ryohei greeted me with his usual. "Suzuki! The boxing team _extremely_ wants you on the team! We're aiming for the top this year!" His eyes burned with fire, as usual.

"No thanks, Ryohei." I gave a massive yawn that cracked my jaw. "My bad. But yeah, I've got other things to do, you know?"

He slapped me on the back, making me choke on my spit (ew). "Get some sleep, Suzuki! Boxers need all their energy so they can fight _to the extreme_ in the ring!"

"Like, I said… oh, never mind." I coughed to get my throat feeling better. "You never listen, do you?"

Meanwhile, Tsuna was freaking out about something or other. Probably something to do with Kyoko standing nearby.

"Anyways, Sawada! I'm bringing you into the boxing club!"

"That's no good, onii-chan! You can't force him to go!" Kyoko protested.

"I'm not forcing him! Right, Tsuna?" From the look on Tsuna's face, his mental thoughts said anything but agreement.

"That's right. I'll wait for you at the gym after school." He began sprinting away. "Got to go!"

Haah… still as energetic as ever. In my current state, I couldn't even bring myself to comment on it. "Let's just go back to class."

* * *

Finally! Lunchtime—the one time I was allowed to eat in class without getting in trouble.

"What do you have for lunch today, Kazumi-chan?" Kyoko asked as she took out her bento.

"The usual. Some rice, sausages, tamago, and, of course, a bar of chocolate."

Hana sniffed in disapproval while holding her onigiri. "You're going to get diabetes from all that chocolate you eat every day."

"Well, it's not like I can help it. It's the only thing keeping me awake all the time." I took out my bento. It was sturdy and big—great for my never-satisfied appetite.

Just one problem—my chocolate was nowhere to be found.

"Where the hell is my chocolate?!" [2]

* * *

From his position in the tree, Reborn smirked. Who knew that Suzuki was so attached to her sweets? The bribe from a few weeks ago had been a wild guess, and he'd never have thought that it would be such a great bargaining tool. This would be useful information if he ever wanted some assistance in tortur—training Dame-Tsuna.

Now, if she would just notice the note he had put in place of the chocolate he'd stolen, he'd have all the steps in place for the boxing match today. He just hoped that she was stupid enough to not notice the flaws in the note.

* * *

_I have your chocolate_.

_-Ooyama Ushio_

The captain of the karate club, right? He was going to give me back my chocolate or risk getting mauled by one angry bitch suffering severe chocolate withdrawal. There were two things I absolutely hated: an invasion of my personal privacy, and somebody denying my daily choc intake.

After asking around, I found out that my target was heading to the boxing gym to challenge Ryohei for a rematch or something. Fine by me.

"Oi, Ushio! You're a dead man!" Without acknowledging the others in the gym, I sprinted towards him, jumping just at the moment so I could reach his face.

_SmackCrunch_. It turned out that Tsuna was punching him just as my foot reached his head, so instead of hitting him in the cheek, I kicked him right in the kisser. _Sweet_.

"Hieee! Suzuki-san!"

I ignored him and grabbed Ushio by the collar or his uniform. "Better give me back my chocolate now, or you're in for a worse beating than the one Tsuna and his pals gave you."

"S-scary…" [3]

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" Ushio's voice cracked as he tried to squirm out of my grip.

I shook him hard. "Don't sass me, boy. Where is it?"

A short gramps wearing an elephant helmet landed on my shoulder. "Ah, I found it next to the boxing ring. Is this what you were looking for?"

I glanced at the one invading my personal space. "You've got three seconds before I shake you off, Reborn. No grudge, but I am tired, pissed off, and craving my chocolate."

Reborn just smirked as he tossed the bar on Ushio's fallen body. "Help yourself."

I grabbed it and stuffed it in my school bag. "Sorry guys. I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got a little date with this doofus here." I grabbed Ushio (again), who was trying to crawl away. "We're gonna go somewhere… high up, with a convenient spot for bungee jumping. Black belts like bungee jumping, don't they?"

"O-oi, Kazumi, don't you think you should let him go?" Takeshi carefully proposed from a safe distance away. Understandable, since he was the only one here who knew how far my anger would take me. "I mean, you got your chocolate back, right?"

"Sure, I got it back, but you of all people know how important it is to me. So it's not about my not getting it back, it's about his taking it in the first place." I waved a hand cheerfully as I exited the gym. "Bye, guys!" [3]

* * *

And on that day, Ooyama Ushio was found hog-tied and hanging over the side of the school roof, forever fearful of angry females.

Lesson of the day: never, ever stand in the way of a girl and her chocolate.

* * *

[1] Like I mentioned in a previous chapter, Kazumi's duty is to patrol the school and do all her duties in the morning. That way, it leaves the rest of the Committee members free for the night. So technically, they're doing her job right now.

[2] This somewhat reminds me of that one fish dude from _Spongebob_. You know, that episode where he and Patrick try to sell chocolate bars?

[3] Who else would say this other than Tsuna? Sorry, it was bothering me when I wondered whether you guys would know who was talking, for some reason.

[4] Later reactions: the girls took it in stride, Bianchi didn't care, the boys except Takeshi were wary, and Takeshi was resigned in his cheerful way. Reborn was just Reborn. Oh, and Lambo and I-Pin had no idea what was going on.


	9. Crushing on a Blonde Klutz

**Hey, Bluosity here!**

**As I (somewhat) promised, I managed to finish this chapter in one week. Consider it my Thanksgiving gift to you all!**

**It's a bit long, for which I apologize (to my hands and brain, mostly). On Word it spans 10 pages, which probably crowns it as the longest chapter I've done so far. And no omake to make it longer, either! Wow.**

**Anyways, failed foreshadowing is fail, so please, just take it as is and understand that I'm an idiot when it comes to writing.**

**Disclaimer(s) are mentioned in previous chapters. I don't really want to rewrite them, because we all know that I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn!, and I'm sure you guys are tired of me mentioning it like I'm proud of the fact that I'm not the owner.**

**Enjoy, and (if you celebrate it) happy Thanksgiving!**

**Bluosity, signing out.**

* * *

Chapter 9-Crushing on a Blonde Klutz will be Detrimental to your Health

"Um."

That was the only word that would come from my mouth when I saw the sight on the street in front of my house.

Suits. Suits _everywhere_. And people wearing those suits. Where the hell did all these people come from?

"What do you want, girl?" The closest one growled.

I pointed past the crowd of black. "My house is over there. I would _like_ to get home, if you don't mind."

He looked over to where I was pointing, then turned back to me, his expression changing to one of surprise. "You Suzuki?"

How the hell did he know who I was? "Yeah, but—"

"You guys, Suzuki coming through!" He called out to his fellow suit-mates. At his shout, the massive crowd shifted and made a path though. Creepy.

"Er, thank you?"

"Ciaossu, Suzuki." Reborn popped from nowhere and landed in front of me. His green chameleon flicked out its tongue in greeting.

"Ciao… but why come out and greet me?" I learned from day one not to trust this dude when he did unexpected (and unwanted) things.

"You've got Tsuna's math notebook, right? He's not home yet, but you should come in and give it to him in person when he gets here."

I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. "How did you know…? Never mind, I should've guessed you'd find out. I was going to go home before coming back and dropping it off, but I guess this works."

"Oh, Kazumi-chan! Come in, come in!" Nana trilled as she opened the door for me to enter.

"Please excuse me," I mumbled. "I came to give Tsuna his math notes back." Not that there were any notes that were particularly helpful (all right, I took a peek. So what?). No wonder he was failing so badly.

"Oh, that Tsu-kun!" she admonished. "Thank you for picking it up for him. I'm sure he's coming back from the arcade, so he should be home soon."

"Hiee!" Speak of the devil.

"Tsu-kun! You've got people waiting for you!" Nana called.

"S-Suzuki-san! What are you doing here?" Tsuna had become even more afraid of me, if that were possible. It _may_ have been the Ushio incident at the boxing gym, though I wasn't completely sure. I mean, at least he was rescued without _too_ much psychological trauma, right?

"Hey," I greeted as I waved a hand. "I came early today to give your notes back. You left them behind after school."

"Ah, t-thank you." He tentatively accepted his notebook, watching me. Probably to make sure that I wouldn't explode in a raging ball of fire or whatever.

"Tsu-kun, Reborn's friend is waiting for you upstairs in your room," Nana reminded him.

"Reborn's friend?" He sprinted up the stairs as quickly as his stunted legs and impairing balance could take him.

Nana cupped a hand to her face, a little blush spreading on her cheeks. "I didn't know Reborn-kun had such a handsome friend."

Cue the pricked ears. Handsome? Please, tell me more.

"So, are you going to stay for dinner today, Kazumi-chan?" Nana continued as though there were no interruption. "I would appreciate it very much if you would. Lambo-kun and I-pin enjoy your visits very much."

Oh, those two were so adorable. Assassination games aside, Lambo was actually a very funny kid. Good for lots of laughs. And I-pin (that child I saw on that day out with Haru, actually), who I found out was a girl when she introduced herself to me, was a really sweet kid. She didn't speak much Japanese, but she was really sensitive to the needs of the people around her. "I'd love to, if you're okay with it. I mean, aren't there four mouths to feed, even without me?"

"Five, because Reborn's friend is staying for dinner," she corrected cheerfully as she chopped some fruit. "But that's no problem! You're always welcome here, Kazumi-chan."

"Thank you." I smiled. _Signore_'s wife was so nice. And her cooking was absolutely amazing. "I need to go do something, though, so is it okay if I come back for dinner?"

"Why not? But would you be a dear and take this up to the boys? I'm sure they could use a snack." She handed me a humongous tray of fruits. I swear, there were, like, five different fruits (and four of _each_ kind) on that plate.

"Sure." Only Nana could make me agree to haul a tray of fruit up a flight of stairs. As I walked up the stairs, carefully balancing the tray, I wondered what Reborn's friend looked like. Nana said that he was handsome, so I guess I would be looking at a man in his thirties to forties?

"'Scuse me. Nana cut some fruit." I kicked open the door with my foot (hey, I didn't have any hands to spare. I wasn't _that_ rude) and set the tray on the table. "Tsuna, I'll be leaving for a mo…ment…"

For the love of all that is holy.

He was _so_ not in his thirties.

He smiled, revealing sparking white teeth. Normally, I'd wonder how people could have such shiny teeth, but my brain didn't seem to be working at the moment. "Ciao, bella."

Oh, my god. He just called me beautiful. Tell me this was not a dream.

He took my hand and (my heart just decided to give out on me) brushed the back of it against his lips, maintaining eye contact the whole time. "I'm Dino Cavallone."

No need to hyperventilate. Snap out of it, Kazumi. It's just a guy. Just a hot, smexy, drop dead gorgeous blond guy. Yeah, I could act normal. Just say what needs to be said. "Um, uh, uh, you're hot—I mean, I-I'm Suzuki Kazumi."

URG. Did I actually just say that? Just kill me now.

I practically ran out of the room, tripping over my feet in the process. "I-I-I have t-to go!"

I… am a shame to all respectable females in the world. I may as well go kill myself.

* * *

Tsuna couldn't help but sweatdrop at what had happened. That was so unlike what he'd expected Suzuki-san to be.

Dino chuckled. "She's a charming young woman. She your girl, Tsuna?"

Tsuna stammered and tripped over himself trying to deny it. "N-no! Suzuki-san is just someone from school!"

His denial just made the blonde mafia boss laugh more. "Haha, I'm just kidding! Reborn tells me that you have somebody else in mind?"

Tsuna felt like melting in embarrassment. "Reborn! Stop telling others about me!"

* * *

When you've made yourself look like an absolute idiot in front of one of the most attractive males you've ever seen, what do you do?

Well, pigging out from major depression seems like an obvious choice. No? It is for me.

"Sorry, we've run out."

"My apologies, but some men came in a few hours before and completely cleaned out our stock."

"Unfortunately, we won't be getting any new stock until next week."

But of course, life just has to be a bitch and somehow run out of _every single chocolate bar in Japan_.

Seriously, how is it that all the stores had run out of a fucking supply of chocolates? Wasn't there, I dunno, some sort of law that prohibited that happening?

Needless to say, I was very, very pissed off when I returned to Tsuna's house.

"Welcome back, Kazumi-chan!" Nana greeted from the kitchen. "I just finished frying the fish."

"Oi, Kazumi!" Lambo cheered. "Lambo-san demands that you give up your dinner! Lambo-san will eat all your rice and fish!"

"No good, Lambo!" I-Pin scolded. "Kazumi food!"

"It's fine, I-Pin," I reassured her. It was impossible to act mad around the kids. "I don't mind much. Here's the deal, Lambo. If you finish all your food, then I'll give you the rest of mine. All right?"

"Hehe! Lambo-san is going to eat all his food and Kazumi's!" And then he proceeded to eat at top speed.

"You work well with kids," the visitor, Dino, commented.

"I suppose I do," I answered without looking at him. Don't look at his face, don't look at his face, don't look at his face. It was hard enough sounding intelligent without looking into those gorgeous eyes.

"By the way, I think I may have surprised you when I greeted you earlier today." He held out his hand in a friendly gesture of apology. "I'm sorry about that. It was just my way of greeting pretty ladies."

Oh gosh. I was already melting in a puddle; he didn't really need to say that. Somebody turn up the A/C, because it was getting _really_ hot in here. I shook his hand, still looking at everywhere but his face. "No problem."

Reborn smirked, temporarily distracting me from my embarrassment. "I don't think it's 'no problem.'"

I bristled. "I don't need your opinion!"

"But I'm giving it anyways."

"_YOU ARE THE MOST INSUFFERABLE, IMPOSSIBLE, ANNOYING, AND UN-BABY-LIKE BABY I HAVE EVER MET. I REFUSE TO DEAL WITH YOU UNTIL I RESTOCK ON CHOCOLATE_." You know that I'm pissed off when the Italian spews out of my mouth without my thinking about it. Unfortunately, Reborn was completely unfazed.

Dino coughed. "Anyways, shall we eat?"

* * *

What occurred over the next ten minutes was absolutely disastrous, and totally _not_ helpful in calming me down. What with all the messy eating (I don't even know if he'd heard of chopsticks before now), the very Tsuna-like tripping-over-nothing trick (how _do_ they do it?), and the failure at taming the bathtub-hungry turtle that just came from _nowhere_, I think you got the point that I was turned off by the end of the day. Dino needed more than just suave looks and charisma for his dating chances to be remotely salvageable.

To top it all off, I still couldn't find any chocolate, and I'd run out the day before after raiding my stash in the middle of the night. So, when Reborn talked to me before sending me off, I was still very much hateful of the world.

"Kazumi."

"_What_?" I snapped. "If you're going to ask for me to do something, I'm not in the mood for your games."

"I need the files Iemitsu gets from you."

Woah, that was surprising. I completely forgot to stay hostile. "What for? They're nothing special. I'm sure that if you're really a 'hitman', you could do the same."

He clicked his tongue in distaste. "I don't have all day. I plan to do something with that info in the morning. It's for Tsuna's training."

I hesitated. "Well, I don't know if I want to do that." I took out my phone and fiddled with it for a bit. "I could get it sent to your laptop by twelve, if you really needed them (I mean, it is pretty bulky). But I want to know why—"

"I only need the files on the Momokyokai. The latest—completely up-to-date. Think you can do that? Or would my skills be better in getting info in a shorter time period?"

My pride bristled at the implication that I couldn't do the job, and I scoffed. "Really? That's just a matter of sorting through all the files and finding the right ones. 'Course I've got all the info you need. The program updates automatically every thirty minutes. What, think I'm incompetent?"

"Great." He grinned and hopped down from the gate fence post. "Thanks for the cooperation."

"Wha-?" And then I realized that I was duped into helping him. _Again_. "Damn it, Reborn!"

Ugh, I don't get how he managed to get me wrapped around his finger every single time.

And still no chocolate. Damn the whole world to hell, I _want my chocolate_.

* * *

"You guys again."

"We just happened to end up here after taking a walk around. It happens all the time." It was that one old guy I saw for a brief moment when I first met Dino.

"Uh huh." It wasn't really my business, but really? All the way from, what I'd heard from Dino yesterday, the hotel? It was freaking twenty kilometers away. Either they were buff dudes who could really work those loafers, or they were horrendous at lying.

"What are you guys doing out here?" Dino mumbled sleepily.

Tank top + sleepy Dino + forgetting about (ignoring) last night's horrible dinner events = very delicious sight. Two words: yummy and _damn_.

I drooled. Yes, it was rude, but it wasn't like I could help it. Those _arms_… Now, if I could just forget about how clumsy and Tsuna-like he was last night, I would be looking at my type. Alas, it was not meant to be.

Sooner or later, Takeshi and Hayato arrived, and then Haru right after. They all had the same lame excuse as Dino's friends/subordinates/I-don't-know-what. Well, you know, I live practically five kilometers away, but I just decided to take a really long walk today and go _all_ over the town. Because I just can't get enough of Namimori, can't you?

Despite their lame attempts in justifying their reasons for coming to Tsuna's house, I decided to tag along. Kyoko said that she needed to get to school early today for some knitting club preparation (something about a big sweater-kitting marathon that weekend?), so I didn't have any other partner for walking to school at the moment. So, hey, why not use the group conveniently gathered here today?

That is, until a red sports car drove by and kidnapped Tsuna.

"Tenth!"

"Tsuna!"

Both Takeshi and Hayato began sprinting after them, before Reborn stopped them.

"Hold it. That's the car of the yakuza, Momokyokai, that are based in this district. You're no match for them. Leave it to Dino and his subordinates."

While Haru rummaged through her bag for her cell phone, Takeshi and Hayato sprinted off, ignoring Reborn's suggestion. I, on the other hand, squinted suspiciously at the infantile family friend. Why did I get the feeling that that wasn't the case? And where were Dino and his men? I thought they were just behind us.

Just then, a car screeched, and the same red sports car halted just behind us.

"I like them." Dino? What was he doing, kidnapping Tsuna like that? "They only thought of rescuing Tsuna."

"So, uh, are you also in this…" I floundered for the word, "whatever-this-is that Tsuna and Reborn are always talking about?"

Dino questioningly glanced at Reborn. "Does she not know?"

"Know what?"

"Nope."

"Know _what_, guys?"

"Ah, it's nothing," Dino laughed, which did little to make me less curious. "Anyways, there's no such thing as the Momokyokai. I just wanted to see if they'd try to help you." "You" as in Tsuna.

Uh, correction. They _are_ real, and Takeshi and Hayato really did run after some yakuza men. Maybe it was a good idea to call the cops now?

"Oh, I forgot. They Momokyokai are a real yakuza based in this city. And according to the info I have, they just recently bought all the chocolate in the city and are storing it in their base."

_Snap_. Well, there goes my temper.

"Sorry, Dino, _Signore_ Romario. I'm going to need to borrow the car for a few minutes."

"Wait, what—"

Too late! I was already in the car and starting up the engine. Momokyokai base, here I come.

Vroom, vroom, mofos.

* * *

I managed to get to the base before Takeshi and Hayato did, though I almost ran them over in the process (they must have wondered how they could've caught up with the car already) [1]. I knew they were following not far behind, so I needed to move fast.

I pulled out my hoodie from my bag and pulled it over my head as I walked up the stairs. [2] Dangerous, I know, but like I said, I needed to move fast if I wanted to get my chocolate without anyone asking any questions. At least I'd taken off my skirt in the car as soon as I parked. Thank god I brought some pants, too.

"Hey, what do you—" _Slam_. There was only one guard. Thin, inexperienced. Probably just recently dropped out of college, judging by his age. He went down with just one well-placed kick to the head. Definitely not dead, but he was going to feel that tomorrow.

"Trying to provoke us, the Momokyokai?" Some muscleheads stood from their positions on the couch as I entered the base's main room. "Who the hell do you think you are, boy?" [3]

"Just someone with a vendetta."

I had to move fast. They must have caught up to the car by now.

* * *

"Tsuna!"

"Tenth!"

Yamamoto and Gokudera slammed open the door at the same time and ran in, expecting a whole army of gangsters armed to the teeth. Instead, they found a whole army of gangsters unconscious, some bleeding from what looked like self-inflicted blows to the head.

"What the hell is this?!" Gokudera grabbed the nearest man by the collar and shook him to stir him from unconsciousness. "Oi, you! Tell us where you put the Tenth!"

Yamamoto did the same, albeit a bit (as in an atomically minimal amount) more gently. "Hey, do you mind telling us where Tsuna is?"

When neither of the gangsters answered, the two moved on and continued to interrogate. They were still trying to figure out what had happened when Tsuna and Dino arrived.

"They beat them?" Tsuna could hardly believe it, though he was immensely glad that they were unhurt.

Gokudera noticed the brunet and tossed the one he was questioning, who had finally regained consciousness, to the side without any regard. "Tenth! You're all right!"

"You seem well." Yamamoto let go of his gangster as well.

Dino whistled in appreciation. "Wow, these guys really are something." He had completely expected them to be in a real hostage situation by the time they had arrived. That they had actually managed to take them out was very impressive (though, to be honest, they _were_ just low-ranking grunts, he could tell that much by a glance).

"What the hell are you brats doing?" The four collectively turned to see eight more men enter through the other entrance. These men looked tougher, like the gangsters Tsuna saw in movies. Strangely, though, they didn't look too unhappy about their men being taken out. In fact, they looked absolutely delighted.

"Uwaa! They look so strong!" Tsuna backed away in fear.

Yamamoto and Gokudera prepared to fight, but Dino stopped them from making any rash moves. "Wait. They're at a different level from the other ones. These guys are still too tough for you."

For a moment, Gokudera looked confused. "What?" He hadn't beaten anybody up today yet.

But Dino didn't notice Gokudera's bewilderment. "It's my fault this happened." The blonde Italian pulled out a golden credit card, holding it enticingly in front of the gang members. "I'll pay for all the medical and furnishing expenses, so let's leave it at this."

The one in the front, obviously the leader (if his top that read "Boss" wasn't any clue), smirked. "Like we'd do that. We'll just take your money and beat you up. We'll get extra from that pretty-boy brat, too."

Dino sighed. "Looks like the peace talks have broken down." He pulled out his whip in preparation for a battle. "This is the only thing we can do!"

* * *

Tsuna stared in amazement at the scene before him. Until now, he never would have expected to be involved with yakuza, much less be _in_ one of their headquarters. And here he was, surrounded by fallen yakuza members, taken down by Gokudera-kun, Yamamoto, Dino-san, and Dino-san's subordinates. And himself, too, which was the biggest surprise.

"You guys are really good fighters," Dino complimented, smiling at his fellow fighters.

"Haha, I guess!" Yamamoto accepted the compliment with cheer, his arms folded behind his head.

Gokudera, on the other hand, continuously showered Tsuna with praise. "Tenth! That was an amazing last blow to his head! I am so honored to be able to fight by Tenth's side as his right-hand man!" And Tsuna was tasked with trying to calm his silver-haired classmate down.

The brunet paused, his lips pressed together in thought. "Ne, Yamamoto, Gokudera. Did the two of you see Suzuki-san in here?"

"Kazumi?" Yamamoto repeated. "No, we didn't see her. And if she somehow had gotten here before us, I'm sure she would have come out from the noise we made."

"Making Tenth worry…" Gokudera grumbled. "Tenth! I'm sure that choco-freak just went to school! There's nothing to worry about!"

Choco-freak? Tsuna had to sweatdrop at Gokudera-kun's interesting choice of insults. "I guess…" But why would she take the car with her, if she was just going to school? And it was suspicious that she left as soon as she heard that the Momokyokai had taken all of the chocolates. It was just too coincidental.

…Thinking too much made his head hurt. He wasn't used to worrying about others, except when worrying about whether he'd be bullied _by_ others. "I guess you're right," Tsuna tried to laugh off his uneasiness. "Then, we should hurry to school! Hibari-san is guarding the gates today."

Gokudera was probably right. If she wasn't here, then she was probably at school, right? He was probably worrying over nothing.

Probably.

* * *

Reborn watched from the nearby building, satisfied with the results of today's morning training. Not only did Dino accept his selections (not that he needed his approval—after all, he _was_ the one who tutored the clumsy idiot), but he also corroborated the authenticity of Suzuki's information, which Iemitsu had requested that he do as a special favor. It was a good day.

He almost turned away to beat Dame-Tsuna to school when a flash of black caught his eye. He crouched down instinctively, watching more closely. Black usually meant suits, and suits usually meant mafia.

But this time, it wasn't a suit. Instead, a shadowy figure, clad in baggy dark clothes, stepped out from another door, hands in the front pocket. He couldn't figure out anything for sure—hell, he couldn't even tell if it was a male or female. He could only see the bottom part of the face, and even that only the lips.

He—she—_it _(better not to assume the gender) casually walked over to the leader, who was still miraculously conscious, though suffering from a concussion (Tsuna's fists were toughened to be harder than steel when Reborn shot the Vongola's Special Bullets). It kicked at the leader's head, none too gently keeping its foot poised to break bones in his arm. And then it spoke. If Reborn hadn't been well-versed in lip-reading from far distances, he would have lost the trail of conversation—the mysterious figure was rather good at not moving its lips while talking.

"You're going to answer my question just before you go to sleep, yakuza-san."

The leader visibly groaned. "My arm… you're going to break it…"

"I won't, if you tell me what I want to know." It leaned over, adding a bit more pressure to the arm. "It's just one question, but you'd better answer quickly."

The fallen boss could only stir in pain. "Ugh."

"Easy there. Don't want you losing awareness, do we? Now, to business. You mentioned a 'pretty-boy brat'. Who is he and what did he ask you to do?"

Reborn frowned in thought. Of all the things to ask the boss of a powerful yakuza, and it asked him _that_? Interesting. What made him more curious, though, was the leader's answer.

"H-he's a part of Fiama, or so he said. A kid, probably nineteen or twenty. Blonde, wearing a suit." The leader panted as he tried not to yell in pain. "He paid us to get all the junk food in the city and contact him if someone broke in to steal the stash."

The figure paused, then cursed angrily, making it much easier for Reborn to interpret what it was saying. "He knew this would happen. Shit!" It stepped off the relieved leader, who promptly lost consciousness. "Damn it all!" Without warning, it spun and kicked the nearby wall, which crumbled at the point of impact. Then, just as suddenly, it left, sprinting down the stairs.

Reborn turned away, intrigued by the event that transpired. He could use Leon-parasail and find out who the mysterious person was, but he was almost late to meet Tsuna as it was. A hitman, especially a first-rate hitman like himself, was _never_ tardy, no matter what.

But that didn't mean that he wouldn't try to find out who it was.

* * *

I leaned against the school gate, trying not to look too intimidated by Kyoya, who'd been glaring at me every time he wasn't watching the passing students.

"Herbivore, stop leaning against the gates."

I couldn't even bring up the energy to argue that I wasn't _that_ heavy. "Hai..." I drawled out. My head was starting to feel heavy. So were my eyelids. So sleepy...

"Suzuki-san! You're here!"

I looked up to see Tsuna and the others jogging to the entrance. Tsuna, in particular, looked relieved to see me. I smirked. "What, did you think I wouldn't? I took the freaking car; it'd be weird for me _not_ to be here before you."

"Stupid choco-freak, you made the Tenth worry," Gokudera growled. He stood behind and to the right of Tsuna, carefully positioning himself so he wouldn't be in front of him. "At least tell him where you're going next time."

I laughed nervously. "Haha, sorry. I realized that I had gate duty today, so I had to take the car to get here early." Please, Kyoya, don't say a word. Don't tell them I lied.

Thank god, he didn't do more than send me a searching glance. "Herbivores, get to class before the bell rings. I hate crowding."

"Hiee! Yes, Hibari-san!"

"Tell Dino that his car is right next to school!" I called after him. When they entered the building, I finally turned to Kyoya. "Thanks for covering for me, Kyoya. I really appreciate it."

He gave me a bland look. "What happened to your hand." He didn't ask, it was a command to answer.

I hid my hand behind my back, though it was too late, anyways. "You noticed? It's just a scratch I got from tripping over myself yesterday. Nothing special." Why did he want to know?

"Hn." He turned away. "Watch for stray herbivores and bring them to the reception office."

Normally, I'd protest, but something told me that now was not a good time to do that. "Sure, Kyoya." I needed to stay on his good side, or he'd investigate more into my hand. Or worse, he'd bit me to death for pissing him off.

It was hard to believe that just one moment of anger would lead to such problems.

* * *

**[1] Ever wondered how Yamamoto and Gokudera could have found the Momokyokai, if the car is so much faster than them? I did, and here's my answer.**

**[2] Kazumi always keeps a change of clothes near her, out of habit. How that habit formed is another story to tell.**

**[3] Kazumi's wearing a hoodie, with the hood up. It's understandable that somebody could have mistaken her for a boy. Plus, would _you_ expect a girl to willingly come waltzing in to a yakuza's base?**


	10. Getting Drunk Off of Apple Cider

**Hey, Bluosity here!**

**I must admit that I feel as though I've been neglecting this story, though I swear it's not by choice! Finals are in January, and I really, really need to get good grades to maintain what I have right now. If you really want to know the details, I've got a long-winded excuse on my profile.**

**So, winter break started yesterday, and I'd be totally stoked if I didn't have a mountain of an English project looming over my head. So, even though I'd _like_ to update another chapter next Sunday, it's not 100% guaranteed. Sorry!**

**...There's not much else I need to say, except maybe some shameless advertising.**

**Bluosity, signing out!**

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**Disclaimer: As much as I'd love to own it, I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! This series, which has sadly ended (QAQ), belongs to Akira Amano. I merely take credit for some non-canon plot and characters.**

**PS I finished writing this chapter today, so there may very well be typos. Apologies in advance!**

* * *

Chapter 10—Getting Drunk Off of Apple Cider

"…And then I need to get the study materials ready…" I mumbled to myself. "Then there's the new information _signore_ wants given to him by Saturday." I sighed, tugging a bit on my fingers as I thought through what I needed to get done by today. December was not quite as relaxing as I hoped it'd be.

A large figure brushed past, and one of my classmates shouted at me. "Oi, Suzuki! Get your head in the game!"

"Sorry!" And I started chasing after my opponent. Now was probably not a good time to be thinking about this. PE was always a good way to get any worries off my chest, at least for a while. And I absolutely loved soccer. "I got this!"

"Ha, you think you can get the ball from me?" Shou, the guy with the ball, panted as he tried to stay ahead. "Just 'cause you're allowed to play with the guys doesn't mean you're as good—" [1]

I sprinted in front of him and kicked the ball in Takeshi's direction. "Takeshi, the ball!" Then I turned to glance at Shou, who'd tripped over my feet when I'd cut off his advance. "Got a problem with it, man? You should remember this next time: if the teacher says I need to play with the guys, it's not just that I play better than most of the girls. Otherwise, I'd still be over there, where they're all cheering." I gestured vaguely to the mass of girls, all either cheering for Hayato or Takeshi.

Shou just looked dumbfounded. "How…? I was five meters ahead…"

I held out a hand for him to take. "I'm just fast, is all." I pulled him up to his feet. "You okay?"

"Yeah…" He looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. "You're not too shabby," he admitted grumpily. "I guess I'm okay with you playing soccer with us."

I slapped him on the back, none too gently. "Damn right it's all good. Don't underestimate me next time, yeah? I hate when that happens."

* * *

After school

"Kazumi-chan, do you have any plans for Christmas?"

"Me?" I thought about it. "Mmm… I don't know. Why?"

Kyoko grabbed my hands and held them between her own. "Then, if you're free, would you like to have some dinner with my family?"

"What? Even if I knew I was free, I couldn't possibly ask to intrude on family time…"

Kyoko shook her head vigorously. "No, it's not a problem! Mother and father said that they don't mind having you over, and Onii-chan promised not to bother you about joining the boxing club." She looked at me wither her wide honey-colored eyes. "You will consider it, won't you?"

I felt the corners of my mouth twitch up in a slight smile. How could I possibly refuse when she was giving me that kind of face? "I'll check if I have anything, I promise you that much."

"Yay!" Kyoko smiled cheerily, clapping her hands together like a kid stuck in a candy store. "Tell me as soon as possible, okay?"

"Sure, sure." Honestly, that smile should be illegal. Guys would kill for her to smile at them like that.

"Ara? Isn't that Tsuna-kun?" Kyoko looked ahead. "Why is he sitting on the ground in the middle of the road?" She hurried ahead to Tsuna, who looked absolutely devastated. "Tsuna-kun, what are you doing?"

For a moment, Tsuna had a pained expression on his face, until he stood up and waved his hand in a show of casualty. "I'm just walking around," he laughed nervously.

I stared at his hands. Was that a skull tattoo? I hadn't seen that yesterday.

Apparently Kyoko thought the same thing. "You do body painting, Tsuna-kun?"

"Uwa! N-no, they aren't! Don't look at me!" He frantically tried to hide the skulls.

"That's so embarrassing. Even though you're short, you have the longest waist in your class." Some sort of echo-y voice rang out from…Tsuna's forehead?

"Uwaa!" Tsuna flailed like a fish out of water, his cheeks a bright red.

"That's so funny!" Kyoko giggled.

"That's kinda sad, Tsuna." I shook my head in dismay. "I worry about your future." Well, not really, but seriously? You've got to be really unfortunate to be the shortest _and_ have the longest waist.

An arm wrapped itself around my shoulders. "Hey, young ladies. You're very pretty." A deep voice came from behind me. "I'll smooch the two of you."

"Eh?"

I shook in an attempt to not grab the guy and throw him to outer space. Don't throw him, don't throw him, don't throw him…!

"This doesn't concern you." The man let go of us and stared as Tsuna held his arms out in front of Kyoko.

"It does concern me!" Tsuna protested.

The stranger pointed his thumb at the setting sun. Even though you'll die in five minutes?"

I swear Tsuna's eyes popped out in his disbelief. "Eh?! No way!"

Kyoko giggled. "You've been saying so many strange things. What a funny man."

"Just… stay away from our faces, all right? I don't care otherwise." If he grabbed me again, I swear I'll throw him, grown man or not.

"See, they like me," the man taunted to Tsuna. "The kiss is coming soon. And then his neck _fucking_ _grew_ and his head came toward us. I'm no doctor, but I was pretty sure that necks don't grow that long.

I held up my bag and slammed it against the man's approaching face. "Screw you, mister!"

"Mmph! Yew no yew wan too!" The man's voice was muffled, but I still understood what he was saying.

"Hmm. So Tsuna's trying to have a dying will without the Deathperation bullet?"

I glared at Reborn, who I hadn't noticed until then. "Reborn, who the hell is this guy, and why is he trying to kiss us?" My arms shook as I continued to hold him off.

Before he could reply, Tsuna yelled out while slipping out of his clothes. "URRROAH! I'll protect Kyoko-chan with my dying will!"

Yeah, beat this guy up, Tsuna!

But then the same echo-y voice from before rang out again, stopping Tsuna from actually punching the creeper in the face. "That's so embarrassing! You called an 'elevator' and 'eberator'. You can never get your timing right when singing."

My face went blank. What a loser. I can't believe that I actually thought just moments before that Tsuna would save our asses from the pedophile. "Tsuna, you're shameful. And as for you—!" I pushed one more time and managed to make the creeper topple backwards. "You should pursue your pedophilic dreams elsewhere!" I grabbed Kyoko's hand and tugged her away. "Let's go, Kyoko, before this guy catches us!"

"O-okay. Tsuna-kun, see you tomorrow at school!" Kyoko turned back and smiled happily. "Tsuna knows some very funny people, doesn't he?"

I deadpanned. "If by funny you mean off-putting-slash-creepy in some way or another, then yes, Tsuna is _very_ well-acquainted with many hilarious people."

I don't even know why I bumped into him so many times in the first place. No, wait, I do know. It was all because Takeshi and Kyoko thought of him as a good friend, and I hung around both of them so much. Ugh, the dangers of having extremely popular friends.

* * *

Today… was the day. Get ready for a long week, because the battle was going to start now.

"All right, we've got a week to prepare for the upcoming end-of-term exams, and our goal this time," I announced to the class as I slapped a poster on the board, "is for all of us to at least get 80% in all of the subjects." [2]

The class groaned in unison. "Oi, Suzuki, don't you think that's too much?" One of the slackers compained. "I mean, not everyone's as smart as you."

I clicked my tongue in disapproval. "It's not like I'm born with smarts. I get good grades because I _study_. I'm the top in class (well, along with Hayato) because I _study_. So I'm determined to get all of the test material firmly in your brains by the time exam week rolls around." I slapped the desk with every syllable to get the point across.

Hayato slammed his hands on his desk as he stood up to challenge me. "Oi, chocolate-freak, why are you the one who tutors all of us? And the Tenth doesn't need someone like you to teach him."

"I've done this before, if that's what you're worrying about," I deadpanned. "Besides—no offense—Tsuna's not the top-scoring student in the class, so I can't say that he doesn't need at least somebody teaching him."

"He's got me if he needs help," Hayato said proudly as he puffed out his chest. "Right, Tenth?"

("P-please don't involve me…")

"Yes, and we all know that your teaching skills are simple enough for the common man to understand." I rolled my eyes and faced the class again. "For everyone who does want to study, we'll start with the basics in math, then work our way up until school ends. We can work on English tomorrow."

* * *

Reborn watched as Suzuki calmly led the class through study period. She was extremely harsh with the workload—the whole textbook, and if any answer was wrong, she'd make the victim do the whole lesson over again. Some of the boys were already looking haggard, especially Dame-Tsuna.

And yet, as the hours went by, and Reborn's coffee mug emptied and filled and emptied again, there were fewer mistakes, and the students' expressions were more confident as they solved the problems with more ease. Even Dame-Tsuna only had to redo the lesson maybe two or three times rather than five. It was like his own Spartan training, but without the dynamite or threats that were so common in his regime.

Everything that Suzuki did intrigued him, and his instincts felt that something didn't quite click with the image he had of her. She acted as though she didn't know about the underground, and yet she worked personally with the External Advisor of one of the most powerful and influential Famiglia in the world. And he was pretty sure that that blonde-haired idiot wasn't _that_ good at hiding his identity.

And then there were those mysterious injuries. He hadn't missed the bruised hand she'd gotten last week. She had claimed she'd gotten it that day when she'd first met Dino, but it wasn't quite convincing. Plus, even before then, he often saw her wince or move awkwardly during PE, though it wasn't noticeable enough for anyone but him to know how she was feeling.

True, there wasn't any proof to confirm his suspicions, and Allegra had said that Suzuki had been too young to remember anything from that far back… But his instincts still told him to check it out, and in his profession, sometimes gut was more effective than reason.

Leon, in response to Reborn's pondering thoughts, morphed into a cell phone. "Time to call in some favors."

* * *

That evening

"And how are your studies coming along?"

_Clickclickclickclack_. My fingers kept typing as I held the phone to my ear with my shoulder. "School's fine, Mama. You don't need to worry about it."

"How can I not? We let you stay in Japan because we didn't want you moving around too much, but sometimes I wonder. Are the students there treating you well? No bullying for being older than them?"

"They don't even know my age. But even if they did know, I don't think they'd care." Huh, that was strange. Two dots on the map, walking during a time when most people were already home. It'd be a good idea to check into that. I logged into the city's surveillance circuits, following the two for a while.

"Is that so? Then, nothing's wrong? You're sleeping early and eating healthy food? Are you getting good grades?"

They were headed for my neighborhood. "I'd love to chat, Mama, but I think I'm going to have to hang up early today. I have some work that I need to finish."

"A-alright. And, Kazumi…"

I paused, stopping right before clicking the "end" button.

"I love you. Stay safe, okay?"

"…Me too, Mama. Don't overexert yourself."

_Click_.

For a moment, I forgot what I was going to do. I just sat there, rubbing the side of my head with my fingers. Just for a little while, I felt like I had some peace to myself.

_Ding… dong_…

Scratch that. I _never_ had time to myself.

I looked through the door's spy hole and groaned at who was ringing on the door. "Is there something you want, Reborn? Oh, and good evening, Dino."

"Haha…Hello, Suzuki."

"Can't a family friend come over for a little reunion?" Reborn smirked.

"One: Reunion implies that we've met before, and I have never seen you until you came to tutor Tsuna for whatever it is you're doing. Two: I have work to do, and I do _not_ appreciate having two people come over at… one in the morning for what I assume is an interrogation. And three: said interrogations tend to involve lots and lots of alcohol, which I don't want having within five meters of my personal space."

"Haha… So you knew that we brought some drinks?" Dino nervously laughed as he held up a plastic bag, presumably full of beer or whatnot. "It's just some apple cider, though, so you don't need to worry…"

Ghh. Curse him and that killer smile. "…You've got ten minutes to drink and get out. I'll be counting."

* * *

"Wait here. I'll get some cups."

A moment of silence, and then the tension faded away.

"Haa…" Dino leaned back in the sofa, though not too comfortably. Suzuki had _not_ looked particularly happy about having guests over, and rightly so, he supposed. After all, it _was_ in the early morning, when nobody who wasn't on a night shift would willingly be up. "Tell me again, Reborn, why are we doing this?"

"Doing what?" Reborn asked innocently.

"You said you were going to get her to answer your questions using this!" Dino pulled out the bottle of cider. Cider that he suspected would have some kind of strong truth serum, knowing that Reborn had bought it himself. "I don't feel good about doing this to a lady, though…"

"Are you going back on your word, Dino?" Reborn warned in that tone that implied lots and lots of pain to the one listening. "After all that training to make you a worthy Boss, and you're going to let it go to waste?"

Dino flinched, his body still remembering all that dynamite and harsh training Reborn had forced him to go through. "I'm just saying… she's not even of age to be drinking, right?"

"It's just cider, stupid Dino." Reborn turned away, so the young Cavallone Boss couldn't see his expression. "It's not like it's got 100% concentrated vodka or anything like that."

"What?! Reborn, you wouldn't—!"

Without warning, Reborn kicked him in the stomach, and the bottle of what he now knew was _not_ apple cider went sailing through the air…

"Alright, now what did you want to ta—"

…and smashed right onto Suzuki's unsuspecting head. Of course, she dropped without much of a sound. The shards of glass scattered around in little green clumps, and the suspicious drink inside splashed all over the unconscious girl's head.

"Huh. She's out cold," Reborn remarked casually as he stood next to Suzuki's head.

"Of course she is!"

* * *

"SAWADA TSUNAYOSHI."

"Hieeee!" Tsuna cowered in fear as he heard a familiar voice yell out at him. He could actually see the dark black aura wafting in through the open classroom door before he actually saw the demonic aura's owner.

"I DEMAND THAT YOU CALL UPON YOUR MINISCULE TUTOR. RIGHT. NOW." Suzuki-san grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him vigorously. Tsuna's head could only shake back and forth with the force of her shaking.

"Oi! Hands off the Tenth!"

"G-Gokudera-kun…" Tsuna could hardly trust himself to talk without biting his tongue off.

Thankfully, she stopped treating him like a ragdoll, but the glare she gave Gokudera was enough to make even the silver-haired bomber cringe in fear. "Back. Off."

"Gh! S-stop manhandling the Tenth like that!" Tsuna silently commended Gokudera for keeping his cool. If he were in his shoes, he'd have peed his pants by now. A normal Suzuki-san was already scary enough for him, thank you very much.

"As soon as I find Reborn and have a word. I refuse to do any study sessions until I've found him."

Immediately, the class as one rose up in outrage. "Oi, Tsuna! You'd better do as Suzuki says, or we'll all fail our exams!"

"No! I need those study sessions!"

"Tsuna! Do what she asks!"

Tsuna wanted to melt in a puddle of nothingness. Why was it always him?

* * *

Eventually, Kyoya found me in a rage and kicked me out to cool off my head. The class would have to do without me for about half an hour.

A section of the wall sitting next to me opened, and there was Reborn, sitting in a miniature sofa and calmly sipping coffee. "Ciaossu. I heard that you were looking for me."

"What the hell did you do to me last night?" I growled. "I come in, bringing cups, and the next thing I know, I wake up on the couch with a sore neck and shards of glass in my hair and all over the living room floor. What the fuck did you put in that cider?!"

Reborn continued to sip his coffee, not even slightly bothered that there was an angry banshee (obviously, I hadn't exactly been worrying about my hair that morning) screaming into his face. "Long story short, you got drunk off of apple cider." He smirked.

"That was _so_ not apple cider."

"Relax, Suzuki. You didn't say anything you didn't want to say." He paused. "But you should learn to keep your voice down when you're drunk. Though I've heard from Dante that the house was made soundproof."

"That's not what I'm mad about!"

The platform that Reborn and his comfy couch were perched on began to slide back inside the wall. "Then, I'll be seeing you."

"Reborn—fuck!" I still didn't know what exactly happened last night. I swear, I would _murder_ Dino for tricking me like that.

Well, at least I didn't wake up with a hangover. [3] That was one thing to be grateful for. Just one.

* * *

"Yo, Suzuki! How're things going over there?" _Signore_ cheerfully greeted me over the phone.

"I have come to the conclusion that Reborn should be locked up and sent to a remote island somewhere. But why have you called today, _signore_? Are the files from last night not satisfactory?"

"Nonsense! I know that Reborn can be a bit… extreme sometimes, but he really does mean well." (There was a cough in the background) "Anyways, it's not about the files, which are as good as ever, by the way. I'm calling about a client."

"A client? But I thought that you didn't want me to be involved with your clients."

_Signore_'s voice became a bit more serious. "Normally, I'd be against it, but he specifically asked for someone who specializes in information, and you happen to be the only one free who's in Japan."

"I don't hear myself complaining." I felt a bubble of excitement in my stomach. This would be the first time in a _long_ time that I'd done something like this. "Who's the client?"

"I'll send over a picture and the details when we hang up. You sure you want to do this?"

For a moment, I paused. Why was he asking me to reconsider? But then I made up my mind. This was the perfect opportunity to repay the kindness he showed me a year ago. "I'm sure, _signore_."

"Then good luck." And he hung up.

I stared at my phone, thinking about what _signore_ had said. My first client, _ever_. I needed to make a good impression if I wanted another chance to pay back my debt.

The phone vibrated, and I quickly snapped open my phone. Who was this mysterious client?

But the face I saw was not one I wanted to see. I stomach dropped and my breathing stopped for just one moment. Of all the people who could have been a client, and it was him? I almost wanted to call _signore_ back and tell him I had to cancel, but my duties outweighed my desires.

I had to go through with this, whether I wanted to or not.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Italy

"_If you don't mind, I'd like to arrange a meeting with the one stationed in Japan. That way, it is less money spent on traveling for you, although I don't suppose that it's too much of a problem either way, is it?"_

"_Ah, but the one there is a bit young and inexperienced, though I can't deny that her information is spot-on. She may give you a hard time. Is that all right with you?"_

"…_I think I can handle it, _Signore_. Thank you very much for your cooperation. I shall send over the meeting details by fax."_

Iemitsu pondered whether this was a good choice. He knew that Suzuki would jump at the chance to repay her so-called debt to him. Even though he barely met with her personally, he knew that much by the dedicated information she sent him on a regular basis. He didn't want her to overexert herself trying to repay the kindness she had already given back fivefold with her information that had saved his son's life multiple times (though she didn't know it).

But that man—no, not quite a man, a boy—had specifically requested to meet with the one stationed in Japan. And, as someone who knew the true identity of CEDEF, he couldn't afford to disappoint him without causing some serious problems involving the underground organizations.

Plus, it wasn't as though Suzuki was incapable of doing her job well. From what he could tell from that conversation a year ago, she was more than able to do it.

He stared at the fax containing all the client's details. It even included a picture of him. That young man was quite thorough, wasn't he? Despite his image on television, he was actually rather serious when it came to business. Probably a trait inherited from his father, he supposed.

"Ren Walker. I wonder what it is that you want…?"

* * *

[1] I'm not quite sure, but I've read online that some schools don't have co-ed PE classes, so I'm assuming that Namimori is the same. Plus, I didn't see any girls playing alongside the guys, which somewhat makes me think that Namimori Junior High is sexist (JK. That's probably just how their PE system is)

[2] Again, I have no primary source evidence, but I assume the end-of-term exams are somewhere during December, since the second term ends around that time. Curse the Internet's lack of specific information.

[3] I heard from my mom that vodka is popular because it doesn't cause hangovers. I don't know myself (I'm still a minor), but I just thought I'd put that little nugget of untested/unverified wisdom out there.


	11. Ren Walker

**Yes, I am back (and unexpectedly on a Monday, when I usually update on Sundays)! But only for a short time, unfortunately.**

**I thought that I'd be able to upload more frequently because of winter break, but that was NOT the case, because finals have been killing us high school students (the first tests are tomorrow!). Still, I thought that I'd take the time to finish this, since I have been neglecting this series in favor of my deviantart project (which I absolutely CANNOT give up on).**

**So, yes, new chapter. A bit jumpy and unexpected, especially at the end, but I have to finish uploading before my mom gets home (she'll kill me when she finds out I didn't study much today), and I practically wrote all this in one afternoon.**

******(Crap, she's home!)**

**KHR! is not mine, only my OCs. Bye!**

**Bluosity**

* * *

Chapter 11-Ren Walker

Here I was, in the principal's office. I wasn't obligated to take the mid-term exams, but Kyoya would kill me if he saw me outside. At least, I think he would, and I sure as hell don't want to test my theory out.

"The school appreciates the effort you put into your work, Suzuki." The principal was a bit more composed this time. I suppose it was because Nezu was fired. He had always been a pain in everyone's asses, and now that he was gone, I was a bit more relaxed.

"Thank you very much for the compliment, Principal." I tried to sneak a glance at the clock behind him. Damn, time sure was going slow today. Though thankfully there were only, like, five minutes until the last of the exams were over.

"Are you sure you couldn't stay for another year? We're already seeing a stark difference in school statistics compared to last year's."

"As I said when I signed the contract, Principal, I only made plans to stay in Namimori until the end of this year." What time was the appointment? 4? What would I be disguised as?

"Yes… that's quite unfortunate, to not finish the school year. Although I suppose you have already fulfilled your school requirements at your old school, correct?"

"That's correct." A man? A woman? Older or younger? Well, probably older. But if he probably already knew who the representative in Japan was, should I even bother trying to disguise myself?

The principal stood up. "Then I suppose this will be the last time I will see you." He stuck out a wrinkled hand. "Thank you for all your hard work, Suzuki."

I took the hand. He really cared for the students, didn't he? The calluses came from writing and signing papers, I could tell that much. "It was a pleasure working with you, sir."

_Ding… Ding… Ding…_

Well, school was officially out for winter break, and my contract was now null and void. It felt a bit… sad, really. I only had… what, three weeks? Then I'd be packing up and leaving. At the very least, I wouldn't be going back to Namimori Junior High.

Would Kyoko be okay? That girl was way too trusting for her own good. Well, I'm sure Hana would do a good job taking care of her, but still…

And then there was Haru, who was so airheaded and easily swayed. There was always Tsuna, who she always seemed to follow around, but the idea that I could entrust her safety with him was completely ridiculous. It's like giving a cat some curtains and telling it to protect it from getting ripped—damn near impossible, in other words.

I felt an arm wrap around my neck. "Oi, Kazumi! I didn't see you in class during exams. Did you decide to skip?"

"O-oh, hey, Takeshi. I, uh, took them really early this morning, before school started. I just hung out around school until now."

"Haha, I don't get why you'd do that, but whatever! Tsuna and Gokudera are coming over to my place to celebrate with some sushi. Wanna come with us?"

…Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no. I was totally banking on Takeshi hanging out with Tsuna today _at Tsuna's house_. Damn, why break the usual routine today of all days?! "Eh? I was planning on working today, but I thought you'd go to Tsuna's place."

"Nah, Reborn recommended we go someplace else so that Tsuna's mom wouldn't feel pressured."

I felt a headache coming up. "Heh. Reborn, you are the bane of my existence…" I muttered. I don't know if it was intentional or not, but I bet I could connect all my recent misfortune to that one infant hitman.

"Hm? Did you say something?" Takeshi asked innocently.

"N-no, let's go…"

Well, shit. It wasn't like I could chase them out. I guess I'd just have to come up with something when the time comes.

* * *

"Oh, Kazumi! Welcome back!"

Tsuna watched in total disbelief as Suzuki-san completely did a one-eighty and—he just _could not_ believe it—_bowed_ to Yamamoto's father. He'd always thought of her as that scary delinquent that hung out with Kyoko-chan, scarier than those overprotective fathers that were always in those dramas his mom watched. Now, if he hadn't known better, he'd think that she was… _normal_. "Good afternoon, Yamamoto-san!"

"Hey, dad! I brought some friends over today!" Yamamoto greeted casually. "Here, you guys can sit at this table. It's between lunch and dinner rush hours, so it's not that crowded. I'll go bring some water for us!"

"A-as if I could let you do that!" Gokudera-kun slammed the table in protest. "The one who'll be bringing the refreshments for the Tenth will be me!"

"Is that so?" Without warning, Suzuki-san slapped the back of Gokudera-kun's head with her wrist ("What the hell was that for, stupid choco-freak!?"). "Then you can take these cups of water and menus." She was dressed in a white shirt and simple black apron, the typical outfit of a restaurant employee (Already? That was pretty fast, Tsuna thought.).

"I thought that waiters weren't supposed to hurt their customers…"

"Hm?" Suzuki-san smiled so brightly he could see sparkles hanging around her. "But you're friends, aren't you? I treat friends differently from customers."

"Stupid choco-freak! Who ever said they'd be friends with you?!" (But he took the platter of drinks anyways and respectfully set a cup down in front of Tsuna). "And who would treat her friends worse than her customers?"

"Oh, by the way," Suzuki-san continued, ignoring Gokudera-kun as though he hadn't spoken, "Since you're going to be celebrating, I thought that I may as we may as well bring the whole Famiglia here."

…

Eh?

"S-Suzuki-san, did you just say Famiglia?" Tsuna stammered. He thought that Suzuki-san was just a normal (but really scary) middle school student! She wasn't like Gokudera-kun, was she?

"What? I didn't say anything."

"That was me." Tsuna's head slammed into the table as he felt a heavy weight (and he had a sneaking suspicion who) land on his head. "What do you think? Maybe Dame-Tsuna will finally get the guts to confess today."

"First of all, that was horrible voice acting." Suzuki-san dodged the mallet aimed at her head while washing another table with a rag. "Secondly, Tsuna has about as much chance confessing to Kyoko as you do—stop trying to smash my head in!—stealing my stash of chocolate."

"A very good chance, then."

"Ha." Tsuna shivered as he suddenly felt a chill come over the room. "I'd like to see you try."

"Oh, it's a bit cold here. I think I'll go turn up the heat," Yamamoto cheerfully remarked.

"Tsuna-san! Haru, your wife, is here, desu!"

Tsuna flinched. "H-Haru! We're not husband and wife!" What would he do if Kyoko-chan heard about that?!

"Hahi! Kazumi-chan! Good afternoon, desu!"

"Oh, Haru." Tsuna suddenly felt the cold die away ("Never mind! I guess it was just a draft.") as Suzuki-san straightened up and tossed the rag in her other hand. "Good afternoon to you, too. Did Reborn invite you?"

"Hai! Anyways, I was working on the latest cosplay design—"

"A-ah, I think now's probably not a good time to talk about that." Suzuki suddenly looked nervous. Her eyes darted to the clock above the sushi bar.

"Heh~ So choco-freak does something like that?" Gokudera-kun smirked as he heard this little tidbit of information. "Oi, woman, what's all this about cosplay?"

Suzuki-san's rag collided with a wet _slap!_ as it hit Gokudera-kun's face. "None of your business. Haru, don't tell this guy a single thing."

"Hai! Haru will protect the information to her best ability, desu!"

"Haha, things sure are getting loud, aren't they?"

Tsuna sweatdropped. Things really were getting loud. At this rate, Gokudera-kun would probably start bringing out dynamite again…

The entrance door slammed open. "EXTREME! You're still so energetic after exams, Sawada! The boxing club needs that kind of energy!"

"Onii-chan! You shouldn't say something like that as soon as we come in!"

"K-Kyoko-chan! Onii-san!" As happy as he was that Kyoko-chan actually came, he felt another headache starting to form from Onii-san's flashy entrance.

"Master Pao Pao said that there was going to be a boxing match here and told us to come!" Onii-san gripped Tsuna's shoulders in a death grip. "Sawada! I want you to participate with me!"

"Hieeee! How could you believe such a lie?! Reborn, why would you tell that lie in the first place?!"

"Get your hands off the Tenth, turf top!"

"What did you say, octopus-head?!"

"Now, now, let's not fight, you guys."

"Hahi! Good afternoon, Kyoko-chan!"

"Ah! Good afternoon, Haru-chan!"

Too many things were going on at once. Poor Tsuna felt dizzy trying to understand what was going on.

But… at the same time, it didn't feel like such a bad thing. After all, it meant that he had a lot of friends, right? If he had to choose between peace and this friendly chaos, he supposed that maybe, just maybe…

This was a little bit better?

And yet he had this small tug in the back of his mind that he was missing something…

* * *

Maybe having them here wasn't such a bad thing after all. At least it was loud and crowded enough that they wouldn't really pay attention to much else.

"Welcome, customer!" Yamamoto-san greeted the arrival. "Kazumi, could you go out there, since your friends seem like they've settled in well enough?"

"Sure, Yamamoto-san." Just on time, too. It looks like my client was here.

"Good afternoon! I'm your server today. Is there something you'd like for your refreshment?"

He didn't look up. "Just some cold water, thank you." A clipped, polite, and uninterested tone. Sounded like he thought that I was an admirer, huh?

"Okay, then I'll leave this menu here for you to order." I walked back inside the kitchen. He hadn't even looked up. I guess he didn't think that I'd be here before him, did he?

"So, what'd he order?"

"Oh, he's new around here, so I thought that I'd give him some time to think."

"Is that so? That's great! We might get a new regular!"

"Haha, maybe…" Somehow, I didn't think that was the case. "Well, I'll just take the water out to him, then."

He was still looking at the entrance, expecting me to come walking in. "Here's your water, sir. Have you finished ordering yet?"

"I'm waiting for somebody. Could you wait until she gets here?" His eyes were still trained on the door.

Well, I guess this was my cue to introduce myself. "She's already here, sir."

He (finally) turned his head to face me. "What? I don't understa…"

I gave a grim smile. "_May I take your order, Ren Walker_?" [1]

* * *

"Wow, your dad's sushi is really good, Yamamoto!" Tsuna sighed as he savored his yellow tuna sushi. He rarely had these luxuries. It wasn't that his family was poor so much that Reborn always stole his food. But since Yamamoto-san had offered all of the food for free, even Reborn was eating enough to keep himself satisfied.

Speaking of which, Tsuna thought, Reborn hasn't even stabbed my hand with his chopsticks even once in the last ten minutes (a new record!). Was he so busy eating that he didn't bother to torture him?

"Reborn-chan, do you want this sushi? It's salmon, a real delicacy, desu!"

"Un."

"Then, open your mouth and say 'ahh!'"

"Ahh."

So that was why. He didn't need to steal his own food if somebody was willingly giving theirs to him, that spoiled bab—

"I dare you to finish that sentence, Dame-Tsuna." Reborn cocked his Leon-gun at Tsuna's head, not even fully turning in his direction.

"Hiee! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"Anyways, Dame-Tsuna, have you been looking at your surroundings?"

"Eh? Why?" He took a quick look. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Gokudera-kun was arguing with Yamamoto and Onii-san, as usual. And Haru and Kyoko-chan were chatting and getting along the way only girls could. "What do you want me to look at?"

"Heh, you're worse at observation than a rock." That comment seemed to stab Tsuna in the head, though he should have been used to such insults by now. "You need to look beyond your boundaries."

"Eh? I don't understand. Reborn, what are you talking about?"

"Nothing. Go eat your yellowtail, Dame-Tsuna."

"How can I just pretend I didn't hear that?!"

And he _still_ felt like something was off. But what was it?

* * *

"Y-you are_…_"

"The Japanese branch representative for CEDEF, at your service_._" I mockingly bowed a bit, but only enough for Ren to notice.

He leaned back against his chair. "So Ciel was right. You were hanging out here all this time_?_"

"Ciel told you_?_" I asked sharply. Damn, I thought that he'd keep his mouth quiet for just a bit longer.

"So it _is_ you!" He stood up, towering over me. I mean, don't get me wrong, I wasn't a dwarf myself, but he sure did grow a lot over the past year. "I wasn't too sure—"

"I suggest you sit back down, before Yamamoto-san starts suspecting." I waited until he had his ass in his chair before continuing. "Since you don't seem to be hungry, I'll just order something light for you. We'll talk when I get back."

I thought that he was already aware that I was working for CEDEF. That was a major screw-up right there. I was really getting soft. "Here's your order_._"

He glanced up at me, eyes blank. "Really? You call avocado rolls and tuna rolls a 'light' snack_?_"

I took out another rag from my apron and started cleaning the table next to his. "That doesn't matter. Now talk. Why are you here_?_ I thought that you never wanted to see me again, or so you said."

He got quiet, fiddling with his chopsticks. "I found out the truth. About those guys. That you were really doing it to protect me."

I swiped the rag over and over on a stubborn stain. "And? Despite that, doesn't it scare you? That I'm capable of doing it?"

"I still am. But… I guess I still miss you more than I'm afraid. Everyone misses you."

Oh, wait. That was the table design. "So is that your reason for tracking me down? You wanted to tell me this?"

"No, but partially. Ciel also told me ("I really have to stop trusting that guy with this info" I muttered to myself) that all that stuff about Mercy was true…?" He trailed off, expecting me to answer for him.

I moved onto another table, even though it was already pretty clean. "Go back and prepare for your concert, Ren. You've done what you need to do already, didn't you?"

"Why won't you tell me? Am I not trustworthy enough?"

"No, you're not."

"Why not? I've known you for as long as, and even longer than, Ciel. Why is it that you choose to trust him over me?"

"My relationship with Ciel is different from the one I have—had—with you. Of course I trust him with different things."

"Just like you've trusted the others with things you never tell me?" His voice was bitter. I didn't think that the carefree boy I once knew (and... no, I couldn't say it, even to myself) could speak in that kind of tone.

I felt a small twinge of sympathy, despite myself. "I know how you feel, but—"

"No, you don't!" He stood and flipped me around to face him. "You didn't think about how the rest of us would feel if you just left like that without explaining yourself!"

"Sir! I ask that you refrain from treating our employees that way!" Yamamoto-san raced over.

"It's okay, Yamamoto-san," I reassured him. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tsuna and the others beginning to sense that something was wrong. "I can handle this." Quietly, so nobody else could hear, I murmured to Ren, "Pay and leave."

"What—?!"

"I said, pay and leave. I'll explain my actions another day. I promise."

"…fine." Ren pulled out a few bills and slapped them on the table. "I'm sorry for treating you that way, miss. It's just that you looked so much like someone I knew." The friendly but polite, apologetic tone. "I hope I didn't hurt you?"

"That's quite alright, sir. Are you sure you don't want to take this with you?" Return the favor and act just as unfamiliar with him. The basics of covert conversation.

"No, I think that my boss will yell at me for taking this long. Thank you very much." And without another word, he left.

"Ah-ah, what a waste of food, though I suppose it's not so bad, since he ate a good three-fourths of it. Are you sure you're okay, Kazumi?"

I smiled. "I'm perfectly fine, Yamamoto-san. There's no need to worry, since I can take care of myself."

"Haha, as if I haven't seen enough proof of that! But seriously, if there's someone bothering you, don't hesitate to ask for help, alright?"

"…Don't worry, Yamamoto-san. I'll be sure to tell you if anything I can't handle happens."

* * *

As soon as Dame-Tsuna fell asleep (which wasn't long, thanks to the brutal training he got after gorging at Takesushi), Reborn quietly snuck out of his hammock and, careful not to alert Bianchi, parasailed out the window, heading for the house next door.

Of course he hadn't missed the exchange between that customer and Suzuki that afternoon. No matter how good she was in concealing her secret exchanges, he had the advantage of knowledge that she'd be meeting up with somebody that day. Plus, the customer wasn't that great at covertly conversing. And with the large, rowdy crowd Dame-Tsuna and the Famiglia made up, it was easier for him to openly observe what Suzuki was doing without being suspected.

But now his curiosity was even more piqued. He wanted to know the details, not just the bare minimum.

"Ciaossu, Suzuki."

"Oh, Reborn." She didn't look remotely surprised to see him. "I'm working. Leave me alone."

"Your façade is slipping. You don't seem anything like an ignorant middle school student anymore."

She sighed, her body slumping against the door frame. "You, too?" She scratched her head, thinking all the while. "Just ask me, and then leave. I really have something important to do."

Fine. If she wasn't willing to cooperate today, then there was nothing he could do about it; after all, he was out of vodka at the moment. "What were the details of the meeting today?"

"Meet up with Ren Walker and hear out his request," she replied promptly. "That's really all there is to it. Now, if you'll excuse me." She slammed the door quickly, and Reborn heard a lock click soon after.

Well, that was enough for him. He knew who Ren Walker was. He knew his connection to Suzuki. Now he just had to figure out how he could use this to his advantage.

* * *

Extra~ Last Christmas

_**One minute.**_

"_The weather here isn't too bad, is it?"_

"_It's cold and it's raining. I'd much prefer that it be snowing. At least it's no so wet."_

"_It's England. You just have to get used to it, that's all."_

"_Hmm…"_

"_But just look at the view! Isn't it beautiful? Looking at London from the London Eye has got to be one of the best things you can do here."_

"_By the way, why is it so empty? Shouldn't there be more people? I thought the London Eye was the most popular tourist attraction in the UK."_

_**Thirty seconds.**_

"_I, ah, pulled a few strings so we'd have the car to ourselves. I thought it'd be more romantic this way…"_

"_You did all that just for today?"_

"_Why not? It's rare that we ever come to England, and they're keeping it open until New Year's. I thought that maybe we could commemorate our first year together with something special."_

"…"

"_Is something wrong, Bel?[2]"_

"_I… didn't prepare much. But hopefully…"_

_**Five.**_

_**Four.**_

"…_this will be enough…"_

_**Three.**_

_**Two.**_

_**One.**_

"_Happy New Year's, Ren."_

"…_Happy birthday, Bel." [3]_

* * *

[1] That actually sounded at lot cooler in my head, unfortunately. Anyways, Kazumi spoke this in English. Therefore, the special italics. But in the next conversation, there'd be too much italicized text, so I decided not to format it that way.

[2] Ohonhonhon~ Yes, Ren knows her as Bel. The reason shall be revealed in…! The next chapter! (or the next)

[3] Yet another bomb of information! And a tiny lie (technically it'd be "Last New Year's" and not "Last Christmas", but it's so much less awkward this way, right? No?) And I think I know what "Bel's" gift was, if you know what couples do when the clock strikes midnight.


	12. Black Eyes Hurt Like Hell

**Wassup, you guys?**

**After a long period of book abstinence, I started up some outside reading again, and it reflects in my writing, as you might see. A bit more descriptive(?) and fewer choppy sentences. Lots of information in this chapter, so I'd get ready to buckle down and prepare for things to get serious. I may or may not get another chapter up this week (probably not, considering my luck with updating so far). This one didn't take that long, though, so who knows?**

**For disclaimers, please refer to my first few chapters.**

**Bluosity out!**

**PS: the plot starts out slow, but I suppose it'll start picking up around the Kokuyo Arc.**

* * *

Chapter 12—Black Eyes Hurt like Hell

"Achoo!" The lady handing me my groceries looked disgusted as I bowed apologetically. "Sorry, Kyoko. So anyways, I won't be able to go to your dinner on Christmas."

"No, it's okay. You need to put your health first before anything, Kazumi-chan!" I could picture her talking into the phone while knitting a new sweater or something. "Please get better soon, okay?"

This girl was just too nice for her own good. "Okay, then. Enjoy your break."

"Good night!"

"Blehh…" I felt absolutely horrible. Maybe late-night running in the winter wasn't such a good idea after all. I'd have stayed in today, but I needed to stock up on chocolate again. I'd already run out of the supplies I'd taken from the Momokyokai a few weeks back.

The street was near empty except for a few last-minute Christmas shoppers. Last night's snow still lay in small puddles here and there, not looking remotely attractive as books make it out to be. If anything, it looked more like a bunch of kids dropped their slushies. Not very beautiful, if you asked me. Pretty cold, too. Even with my hoodie, which held in warmth better than most, I still shivered once in a while.

There was a disturbance up ahead. Five guys surrounding one, though off to the side in an alleyway. A mugging, perhaps? It was probably best to ignore it. After all, I didn't want to cause a big disturbance right before I started going through with my plans.

"And we told _you_, we aren't leaving until you call that son of a bitch who trashed our headquarters." The leader of the little pack was tall, burly, and intimidating. The classic bouncer you'd see guarding clubs.

"Now, really, I do object to this sort of treatment." The victim, who was beginning to look disturbingly more familiar, tried to calm his aggressors down with a friendly atmosphere. "I've already paid all that I owe you, so I'd quite appreciate it if you would leave me be."

Too bad they weren't charmed. A fist swung up, ready to strike. "As if you get to choose—!"

Without thinking, I grabbed a water bottle from my bag and drop-kicked it toward the leader's head. "Oi, don't you think you should leave him alone? He's of no use to you Momokyokai."

They all swelled up like bullfrogs, angry and excited that they found their target. "You're the one who attacked boss, you dirty swine!" One of the men growled furiously.

"What gave it away?" I asked sarcastically. "It couldn't possibly be the hoodie, could it?" I thanked my lucky stars that my face was hidden. If word got out that a regular girl beat up some yakuza, and if Kyoya found out it was me, he would never let me hear the end of it.

"Enough of your insults!" The leader pushed his way to the front, cracking his knuckles menacingly. "If we'd been there back when you raided our base, you wouldn't be alive right now. And we're here to remedy that mistake." They completely ignored Ren in favor of their quarry (me). Hopefully he'd get the hint and run off someplace safe.

"Is that so?" I turned my back to them and jogged off in the opposite direction. The mockery should get them angry enough to chase them to a more secluded area. I couldn't rule out the possibility that Kyoya would turn up and discover my identity. He already knew enough about my employment in school. "Then I hope you're ready for a game of tag."

For the next ten minutes, I raced through Namimori, pursued by a raging pack of bulls howling for my blood. Still, it was more difficult finding a good fighting spot than to avoid them (would it kill them to do a bit more running?). The alleyways I passed through were either occupied by Committee members or wannabe thugs, or too close to residential areas to be completely safe from detection.

There! Kokuyo Land was, from what I learned from old talk and some scouting, was completely abandoned and had been left to rot for years. The entrance was chained shut, but it could be easily unlocked, either with lock picking or brute strength. I somersaulted over the wall instead, since they'd catch up before I could pick it open.

Imagine my surprise when they decided to play follow the leader and hustle over the wall as well. Damn, they sure were persistent, though I wasn't sure if that was such a good thing for them.

"Finally, you've got nowhere to run, bastard!" In their anger, they'd completely forgotten the definition of tired. "You reap what you sow!" As one, the five of them charged, their knuckles white on their chosen weapons. This was why I hated dealing with yakuza—they dedicated everything to their boss with little regard for one another.

"I think you've got it wrong." I jumped over a low blow to my legs, managing to knee my assailant in the chin. He reared back and tripped over one of his allies. "I led you here, not the other way around." Twisting around, I used my right forearm to deflect the kick aiming for my neck, redirecting it to sail harmlessly inches above my head and instead land squarely on the forehead of another trying to get me from the side. "Though I have to admit you're much better than the ones I fought at your HQ."

"You'll pay for almost breaking Boss's arm!" None of them seemed to notice or care that most of their injuries came from their own team. In their eagerness to beat me up, they were striking each other more than they were laying blows on me. There was absolutely no teamwork involved, though individually each of them had their own admirable strength.

"Give up. Unless you find out how to work together, you'll only be destroying each other." I ducked just as two baseball bats swung from opposite directions and let them strike the other's arm. Only one, the leader who had only been tripped by the first attacker, was standing.

"Shut up! You know nothing of our gang, and don't pretend otherwise!" he growled, spitting out some dust he'd swallowed from his fall earlier. "We're not scum of the earth. Our bonds are strong enough that stuff like this won't faze us!"

"Eh~ is that so?" I knocked the old-fashioned katana out of his hands and aimed a kick at his knees. The bigger they are, the harder they fall, and this one was particularly large. "So, if I beat you right here, right now, will the others come to your aid? Or will they ignore you and continue to target me?" I grabbed the sword from the ground and drove the butt of the handle into his nose. A large _crack_ing noise resounded as his nose caved in from the blow. "Answer wisely. I don't particularly care for crowds with no sense of working together."

"Keh!" He spat out a reddish blob at my feet. "The gods curse you and your standards. The Momokyokai do as they please, as long as the Boss demands it of us."

I could've laughed right then. They knew absolutely nothing about the importance of teamwork. Why bother trying to teach them if they refused to learn? In any case, I spent too much time already fooling around. I had to make sure Ren was unhurt. "If I had 10 yen for every time someone cursed my name, I'd be able to own the world right now." I lifted the sword once more, ready to strike his skull. "Sorry, but I have more important things to do."

"Wait, Bel!"

I whipped around. Ren was gripping the gate bars, trying to find a way in. What in the name of Remus was he doing here? "You idiot! You should have gone bac—!" A whipping sound made me turn back to my forgotten opponent, but not fast enough. His fist slammed against the side of my face, though I turned in the right direction so that most of the damage rolled off without causing too much grief. Another fist knocked into my ribs so hard I felt all the breath in my body leave in one go.

The gate rattled again. "Bella!"

"Shut up!" I could feel my left eye throbbing, and I just knew that my contacts—both of them—fell out in the process. "I'm fine."

"Not so tough now, are you?" He roared, struggling to get back to his feet. "That's just a taste of what's coming for you, you damn intruder!"

I couldn't hear anything of what he was saying. My vision swam as wisps of multicolored light flickered and danced. I could feel the drain of energy in my limbs as I kept my eye open. Little spots of red and green popped and pulsed around my opponent. I closed my left eye to keep it from affecting me any further, though I could still see faint waves of light undulating around everything. "That's all you've got? Surely the Momokyokai were more than this. My own kohai could do better."

"Says the one who's barely standing up after one little slap to the face," he challenged. He aimed for my ribs again, intending to get me to drop the sword.

I ducked again and ran forward before he could get his sense of balance back. With the center of gravity in his torso, the failed lunge gave me enough time to get behind and drive the sword hard against the back of his skull. He didn't even have enough time to realize what happened before he lost consciousness and dropped to the ground.

I released the sigh that I hadn't noticed that I'd been holding. The left side of my face felt like fresh roadkill, and I could still see flashes of color, though not as strongly as before and the red and green spots had disappeared. My side stung a bit, but it didn't feel cracked.

"Bella!" Ren's relieved voice rang through. "Are you okay?"

I hopped over the fence with some difficulty. The fight had taken more out of me than I'd hoped. "I'm absolutely spiffy, as you can _clearly_ see, Ren," I answered, letting my irritation break through. "Without your spirited cheering, I don't think I'd have been able to beat them."

His hands came up in a gesture of surrender. "Look, I'm sorry! I thought that you'd do more than knock him out." He added the last part quietly, though I could still hear him.

"Whatever. You came to Namimori because I promised you I'd tell you everything, right? You can stay at my place for a while." I turned to walk back, but a wave of dizziness washed over me. I clung to the wall for support. An itch grew in my throat, and I couldn't hold back the urge to cough. For lack of a better word, I felt like shit.

A scarf dropped around my shoulders. "You're sick and injured. You're in no position to act the hostess." Ren stood in front of me, knees bent. "Here, I'll carry you."

"Ever the valiant and gentle warrior, aren't you?" But I took the offer anyways. Any more time standing and I probably would have collapsed. His warmth rolled off his body in pulsing waves. "I'm impressed. You used to be unable to carry anything heavier than twenty pounds."

"Never underestimate a man's will once he's determined to do something. Turn left or right?"

"Left." I sighed heavily. "My bags…"

"I've got them here. I thought I might give them back to you instead of waiting for you to come back. You never do well when you're sick, always recovering slower than the average snail crawls."

There was no energy in me to argue. "Mmm… Turn right here." I tightened my grip around his neck. "I thought you had a concert. Or at least, Ren-kun did."

"He's got enough confidence now to take to the stage himself. I was just there to reassure him that his skill is enough to make it in the entertainment industry. My main goal was to find a way to travel without the Mercy imposter getting suspicious. That's what the other two are doing, by the way," he added. "Which house?"

"The one that says Suzuki." I felt a twinge of annoyance that Ciel had told him so easily after I'd made him swear not to tell. "So he told you about my plans as soon as I left?"

"Pretty much. You know he can't keep secrets for long if he can get mischief out of telling it."

I closed my eyes in resignation as I processed what he said. "I suppose it's my fault for believing he'd keep it." I fished around in my joey [1] and handed him the house keys. "Here."

When he got around to opening the door, he set me down on the couch. "Where's your kitchen? I'll get some hot chocolate for you."

"You don't have to." I felt my eyes droop closed. "I should tell you what I know before I pass out." Then I realized I was talking to a fly buzzing on the window sill. "Figures." He never passed up the chance to cook if he could help it.

He came back with two gently steaming mugs. "Here. I made sure it was okay."

I took a cautious sip. I suppose this time it was a hit. "Thanks." I let the sides of the mug warm my hands. They felt a bit tender from the cold. "So I suppose I should start from the beginning. But first, do you know the purpose of the school?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it an international school for the famous, rich, and skilled?"

I took another sip, letting the taste roll on my tongue before answering. "True, but the main purpose of the school is to unite the countries as one against its common enemies." I spotted his skeptical look. "Think about it. All the big names of the world—politicians, entertainers, athletes—go out of their way to enroll their children in this school in southern California. There's no reason for that, especially when it had no reputation to speak of when it was established fifteen years ago. There's so much future in that school anyone would be tempted to lay siege and hold the students hostage."

"Then it doesn't make sense. Why would the countries of the world agree to put their kids in potential danger? They'd be bloody mad to agree."

"Because all the other countries were doing it. So if one nation tried to kidnap the students, the others would have legal reason to resort to whatever it took to get them back. So not only would they be providing their posterity with the best education from the best while they hunted down threats, the school provided peace so nobody tried to gain leverage over the others.[2] Plus, Principal Blanc proposed to install a tight protection system. The security would track down potential threats, assess the probability of danger to the students, and deal with the situation as needed."

"And they believed it? Anyone would say that to get business."

"A few skeptics tested it out a few years after the establishment. They hired professionals to act as kidnappers to see whether the security was any good." I took a large gulp of hot chocolate, keeping my left eye closed. It hurt to blink.

"And?" Ren prompted.

"And that was it. Security tracked them down, had the would-be kidnappers arrested, and traced the source to the former skeptics just days after the plan came into effect."

Ren ran a finger over the handle of his mug, contemplating. "But in all the time I've lived at school, I've never once seen a guard. It was a bit unnerving when I figured it out."

I leaned forward a bit. "That's the point. You're not supposed to know the security is there. It's like a playground for the sheep, never letting them know that dogs were hiding among them, guarding them from hungry predators."

"I still don't understand," he stubbornly pretested. "What about students like us? The five of us were always travelling around the world. How could the security be that powerful? How can they protect everyone when people like us hopped from country to country?"

I sighed impatiently. Didn't he realize now? "We were the _only_ ones allowed to travel farther than the nearest town. Everyone else stayed within the school boundaries." I felt my annoyance die down a bit when I told him the next bit. "Sometimes, the dogs themselves don't know that they're not sheep."

"What? You're speaking in riddles…" Ren's voice trailed off as he finally understood what I meant. "You're saying that the school used _us_ as security?" he whispered.

The whole time, I'd been staring at my cup, avoiding Ren's face. Now, I chanced a glance. His expression spoke of more than surprise. The revelation came as a sudden waterfall of realization. "Near undetectable, highly effective. Nobody would expect students to be their own protectors. There were some misgivings at first, but Mercy convinced them to go through with it. She was assigned as our captain and she's the one who's been protecting the school so far."

He twitched. "Mercy? Why would she prefer students as security over trained professionals?"

That… "…I'm not at liberty to answer that. When I find Mercy, you can ask her yourself." I coughed a bit. "But now you know. The five of us—you, me, Mercy, Ciel, Sebastian—have been the security of the school. All of us personally selected for our individual skills."

"Skill?" He looked doubtful. "I can understand you four. Mercy's intelligence, your fighting, Sebastian and Ciel's technology… but I don't have anything special like that."

"You doubt yourself? Who's the one who can sweet-talk us into any advantageous situation? Who's the one who can connect with practically anybody in the world with his friendly personality? Who's the one who can speak more languages than he has fingers?" Before he could protest, I continued. "You've been a valuable part of security. Without you, protection had been much more difficult because none of us spoke more than two languages."

He closed his mouth, mulling over all the information I'd given him so far. And there was still more to give. "On one of those excursions—you remember the one in Sicily?—Mercy and I were ambushed after taking care of our target. They took Mercy before knocking me out. The one giving the orders over in school is not the Mercy you know. She looks like her, she acts like her, but it's not Mercy Blanc."

"Then who else could she be? She her Mercy's voice, she has her face, she has her personality. Not even you could keep up a disguise like that."

"That's why I'm saying that the real Mercy has to be alive. They need the original living and breathing in order to effectively imitate her. And I pinpointed their location to this spot."

"You can't be serious."

"I've never been more serious in my life. Mercy's somewhere here in Namimori, and I intend to get her back with whatever it takes."

* * *

From its listening position, the honey bee on the window determined that there was nothing more of importance being said and crawled through the exit, a tiny, negligible hole in the wall. Immediately, before it froze over from the cold, it raced through the frost and headed straight for its master, who was waiting on his own window sill.

"Good work. What have you heard?" Listening to his report, the bee's master nodded in contemplation. "I see… And she's absolutely sure about this? No, of course she would." He offered his subordinate a slather on honey. "Here. Your reward. Tomorrow we'll be doing some training with Dame-Tsuna and his Famiglia."

* * *

[1] A joey is the pocket that hoodies have. Not particularly important, but just in case you wanted to know.

[2] I'm not sure if I explained it well, so I'll try to give an analogy. The countries (the politicians, the entertainers, the athletes, etc. etc.) are shark hunters. The school and the students are bait—irresistible, high-reward bait that should not be eaten at any cost—for the kidnappers (international criminals, murderers, those hoping to get ransom, the works), the sharks. The shark hunters would be less likely to kill any sharks individually than if they were to band together. By all of them pitching in to pay for bait, it ensures that everyone will do his best to kill the sharks in order to gain profit. Should anyone try to protect only his own bait, the other hunters would turn on him as well. If the harpoons, the security, do their jobs well, none of the bait is touched and the hunters have killed many sharks in the process.

In short, it's a method to protect the village from shark attacks.


	13. A New Year's Festival

**What is up, all you readers (most of whom I've probably lost already)?**

**Sorry for the lull in updates. I tried to stock up on stories so that I could regularly churn out updates without stressing about it, but look at me now-it's been (what, over a month?) a really long time, with a grand total of... two chapters. Wow.**

**The next one is a bit long, though, so hopefully that'll make it up with you guys? Maybe?**

***Oh, and I have wanted to explain the lack of explanation in these chapters for quite a while now. The story is from Kazumi's point of view, so it's not omniscient, nor does it explain everything that is going on. I mean, think of it this way-when you think of your favorite anime-take Reborn!, for example-you don't say in your head, "Oh, it's an anime revolving around the life of one Sawada Tsunayoshi, a normal middle school student who is actually heir to one of the most powerful Mafia famiglia in the world." or something like that; you think "Oh, Reborn!" and then some vague idea of the plot. There. That's it. It's the same way with this.  
**

**Does that make sense? If not, ignore everything I've written up until now.**

**Whatevs. Bluosity, signing out(and hopefully coming back sooner than later)!**

* * *

Chapter 13—A New Year's Festival

Day 1—Miserable Monday

"Achoo!"

…

…

"Achoo!"

…

…

"Achoo!"

GAH. Couldn't I be quiet for ten seconds without the need to sneeze!?

* * *

Day 3—Weary Wednesday

"Bleh…" I barely had energy to move, let alone do anything. Thankfully, when I'd tried to explain to _Signore_ in a breathy and scratchy voice he understood immediately and insisted that I take a break from work.

"Get a good rest, Suzuki. I can't have my hardest worker killing herself from overwork," he'd advised, his tone surprisingly serious. "Reborn can sub in for you until you recover, all right?"

"Des, dang goo."

But I didn't want to lie down doing nothing. I wanted to be productive in some way, dammit!

Ah, my head hurt. Time to blank out for a bit.

* * *

Day 6—Shivering Saturday

Seriously, I didn't think it could ever be General Winter [1] cold here in Japan, but the temperature was seriously testing my tolerance. It felt as though I were sitting naked on a giant ice cube in the Antarctic. Well, not really, but my shivering had gotten so bad I couldn't do anything but lie in bed like a body pillow.

The house was quiet, only creaking once in a while, and never noticeably loudly. At least I was grateful for that.

But I felt a bit lonely. It looked as though I'd be spending New Year's coughing my guts out.

* * *

Day 9—Terribly Terrific Tuesday

And so I was needlessly reminded that getting sick was not in my best interests.

A week and a half later of being stuck in bed, I was decently well enough to go outside and walk around. And so here I was, lounging on the couch while finishing the last of the latest reports to _Signore_. It wasn't much, just an e-mail and basic summary of the report—it was easily finished in a few strokes of the keyboard.

"Ah-ah, I wanted to celebrate New Year's somehow…" I mumbled to myself as I flicked through the television channels to distract myself. I settled on a special two-hour idol variety show—featuring, guess-who?—Ren-kun. And this time Ren wasn't taking his place [2]. What was it Ren said? Something like 'I was only there to convince him that he can be successful in entertainment'. The theme this week was New Year's, which didn't really surprise anyone.

My cellphone buzzed, signaling an incoming call. When I checked the ID, Ren's name flashed on the front screen. I'd unblocked his name a few days ago, when I was in a sickly stupor. After all, there wasn't any use when he knew that I was here—or, at least, that's what my deranged mind had reasoned. So I hadn't bothered to change it back. "Hello?"

"Bel? How do you feel?"

I shrugged as I closed the laptop, before remembering that he couldn't see it. "I feel normal, more or less."

"That's great. You sound a lot better." He sounded relieved, then asked cautiously, "So, if you're better, do you mind if you came with me somewhere?"

"It depends on where you want to go."

There was a faint sound of crumpling paper on the other end of the phone. "I found a flyer this morning that says there'll be a small festival nearby the main canal. And it'll only be today. Do you think you have the energy to come with me?"

His tentative offer made me smile a bit. I could tell he really wanted to go. "Sure, I don't mind."

"Then I'll pick you up in ten minutes!"

Still, I felt a bit of uneasiness as I hung up. Why did I get the feeling I wasn't going to like this?

* * *

"We match," was the first remark Ren made when I opened the door. His breath formed white clouds that drifted lazily upward as he grinned crookedly. He wore a thick black coat that reached to his loose pants. I also wore something similar, plus a pair of dark shades to cover my eyes (I still needed to get some new colored lenses, if I was right in thinking that I'd be held up here longer than I'd expected).

I tugged on my hair curl a bit. "I suppose so," I replied mildly. No matter what I did with it, it always grew back in an impossibly short space of time. Pushing the sunglasses further up my nose, I asked, "Shall we go?"

For most of the way there, Ren and I simply caught up on old times. The other two hadn't changed at all, I thought as I listened to Ren's stories about Ciel's latest prank or Sebastian's most recent modification.

"They wanted to come, you know. For your birthday. But she's putting quite a restriction on our movements." He shrugged helplessly. "Ciel in particular says he can hardly wait to play video games with you again."

I felt the sides of my lips quirk upwards in a slightly smug smile at his effort to sound nonchalant. "Don't tell me you're jealous? Ciel's just a good friend, nothing more. Besides, he hangs out with me so much because he likes being better than me at something other than computer programming." Before I could let him reply, I pointed up ahead. "Look, there's the festival."

Calling it a festival was a bit much, though. There weren't any food stalls, and rather than mingling together, a group of black-clothed men stood apart from another, more colorful gathering of shorter people. If anything, it was more like a competition.

Standing off to the side was a familiar, miniscule nightmare-turned-real. I felt a tug of suspicion in my gut. "Ren, can I see the flyer you got?"

Just as I thought. "Reborn!" I groaned.

"Who?"

The little bane of the world turned on his pedestal. "What a coincidence seeing you here, Suzuki," he greeted innocently enough. But that little smirk on his face was enough to tell me it was anything but.

I thrust the flyer in his face. "Really? You go through the trouble to send this to Ren to trick us into coming here?" The paper was green and white, with red lettering that read, "New Year's Festival (hosted by Vongola Incorporated)". The time and place was listed at the bottom with a map, and Reborn's miniature face marked the spot on the map where the 'festival' was supposed to be.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Reborn countered before completely ignoring me and greeting Ren instead. "Thank you for coming here today. I am the coordinator of the festival, Reboyama."

Ren bowed politely. "It's quite an interesting festival, Reboyama-san. Is there a competition at the moment?" He smoothly switched from English to Japanese with an ease that spoke of years of practice.

'Reboyama's' eyes glinted. "You're welcome to join. It's a contest to see who can make the best mochi." He pointed to the colorful group. "They're short on hands, so you can go with them."

Ren grabbed my arm and proceeded to drag me in that direction. "Sounds like fun! Let's go join, Bel!"

Coming closer, I could see that it was Tsuna and the rest. Kyoko and Haru were there, too. "Kazumi-chan, happy New Year's! Do you feel better?"

I nodded. "Yeah, thanks for asking."

Lambo and I-Pin shouted hello from their positions in front of the mochi pestle. "Gyahahaha! My sidekick is back!" Lambo crowed. I-Pin, on her part, bowed as low as she could and said her New Year's greetings.

"Happy New Year's to you, too," I laughed, crouching in front of them and giving them both soft pats on the head. "I hope you've been behaving well without me?" When they both insisted they had gotten along exceptionally well, I stood up and made my way over to where Kyoko and Haru were watching over a gently steaming pot. Ren, in the meantime, had spotted Tsuna and the others and decided he'd try his hand at making friends.

"It's good to see you again, Kazumi-chan!" Kyoko giggled as she stirred the red bean paste simmering in the pot. "I like your outfit."

"Thanks. I like your kimono." Honestly, was there something she _didn't_ look good in?

Haru bumped my hip with hers. "Kazumi-chan! Who's the boy who came with you, desu?" She waggled her eyebrows in an exaggerated manner. "He's very handsome!"

"He's…" I looked over to where he stood with Tsuna and the other boys. At least he got along well with Tsuna and Takeshi, though I wasn't surprised that Hayato wasn't particularly happy about the intrusion. "He went to the same school I did before I came here."

Bianchi, who occasionally added bits and pieces of powder to the paste, casually asked, "Is he your lover?"

Ah, that's right. I heard from Hayato that Bianchi was obsessed with love, though how anybody could love Reborn was beyond me. "Uh…" How do I answer this?

"You! Stay away from the Tenth!" There was Hayato, right on cue. "I'll blow your fucking brains out!"

"Hold on a moment!"

Before he could do anything more than utter a threat, I grabbed his arm and plucked the dynamite out of his hands. "Calm down, Hayato. He's with me."

"Choco-freak," he growled as he wrestled out of my grip.

I smacked him on his forehead. "My name's not choco-freak. Get it right before I make you." I turned to Ren. "What did you do to rub his fur the wrong way?" Probably breathing was enough to set off his temper.

He held up his empty hands. "I didn't do anything," he protested. "I just offered to help. Is he always so belligerent?"

"Hm," I hummed. "Usually." Before Hayato said more than, "I—!", I knocked the dynamite against his head again, effectively shutting him up. "Go back and hammer the mochi, Hayato."

"Suzuki-san!" Tsuna exclaimed. "I heard that you were sick. Do you feel better?"

"Do you think I'd be out here if I weren't?" Use your head, please, Tsuna.

He flinched, his wide brown eyes flicking away in embarrassment. "N-no, I guess not…"

I couldn't help but sigh a bit as I patted his head out of instinct. "Never mind. Thanks for the concern." He was just watching out for my health, I suppose. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Hayato swell in outrage. Ren didn't look that happy, either, so I stopped patting Tsuna, who had begun to turn remarkably red, and took Ren by the hand. "Looks like we're not that needed here." Tugging on his hand, I dragged him over to where Kyoko, Haru, and Bianchi sat chatting. "Come on, I'll introduce you to my other friends."

* * *

As I'd expected, all three of them immediately took a liking to Ren at first sight, so much so that Bianchi gushed about the greatness of young love and forced us to sit together as Kyoko and Haru bade me to open the presents they'd bought for me. They'd finished with the paste; all that was left was filling up the inside of the mochi.

Kyoko's presents were two hand-knitted scarves, one red and one black. "You always cover your neck when you have a cold, so I thought that you could have a lot of scarves to keep you warm," Kyoko explained, her cheeks flushed in excitement.

I gave her a hug and small peck on the cheek in quiet thanks. "It's wonderful," I murmured in her ear. I immediately wrapped the black muffler around my neck, feeling much better than before. So warm…

A breath of air tickled my ear. "How is it?"

Was he trying to gain the upper hand? Hah, as if I'd let him. I picked up the red scarf and trapped Ren in its warm folds. "Feel it yourself."

"Hahi!" Haru clapped her hands to her red cheeks in excitement and embarrassment. "Kazumi-chan and Ren-san look so wonderful together, desu!"

The scarf must've been effective, because I felt my face get hot. "S-so! It was a great gift, Kyoko—thank you very much."

Haru's gift was a thick album. On the front cover was a simple label that read, "Kazumi, the Master of Cosplay!" "The whole group put this together using the magazine covers you've featured in, desu!" Haru gushed. "After all, our group became the well-known Cosplay Association it has become!" She flipped the pages one after another. "See, it's all in chronological order, so Kazumi-chan can see how much she's improved over the year!"

"These are all you, Kazumi-chan?" Kyoko gasped.

"Ah, yeah?"

I suppose it did seem a bit difficult to believe. Not all the costumes were female, and none of them had the same exact same character. I'd dressed as haughty princesses, silent warriors, suave butlers—basically all the typical cosplay themes and then some. "Mm… Haru's skills as a seamstress were what helped me become the character, though. And there are some amazing photographers in the Association."

"But I couldn't recognize Kazumi-chan in any of these, and I'd been there when we shot the pictures, desu," Haru reminded me as she pointed to a particularly mysterious-looking young man in a butler outfit. "Remember this one? Kazumi-chan even tried to serve us tea to get in the role!"

"Haha!" Ren's shoulders shook as he tried not to laugh too loudly. "You've always been like that. So serious about your disguises that you even played the part." His gaze was wistful as he shuffled through the rather thick album. "_I wish we could go back to that time_," he murmured in English.

"Thanks, Haru." I leaned over and kissed her on the cheek as well, pretending I didn't hear what he'd said. The past was the past. There was nothing I could do to change that. "You two didn't have to do this, you know."

"Hahi! How could we not?" Haru sounded scandalized. "Kyoko-chan and I are your friends, aren't we?"

Kyoko nodded vigorously in agreement. "That's right! Kazumi-chan, you know that we'll always be your friends."

The two of them were so innocent, it was killing me. But it was for that reason I was so drawn to them, I guess. "You guys—"

"Time's up!" Reborn called out.

"Ah!" The three females stood to their feet. "Let's go see how we did, Kazumi-chan!" Haru and Kyoko giggled.

Well, maybe it was better to let it hang.

* * *

We watched Tsuna's opponents, Dino and his subordinates, present a powdery-looking lump of white gelatin. Not very appetizing, as Reborn oh-so-delicately pointed out.

Then, when it was Tsuna's turn to present his team's mochi, he confidently opened the box… and gaped in horror at what lay inside.

"I helped out in the middle," Bianchi cut in as she popped up behind Tsuna. For some reason, both Dino and Tsuna blanched, turning into very pale ghosts of themselves. Even with Reborn's mumbled threat of a…100 million yen debt (which made absolutely little sense), neither tried to grab the mochi.

"What's wrong with the mochi? It looks perfectly fine to me." I peered at the box Bianchi had taken from Tsuna. It looked totally fine, just like a regular mochi. "I hope you realize that not eating it would be an insult to everyone who helped make it." That said, I broke off a piece and nibbled a bite.

"Ah—"

"Suzuki-san!"

"It's actually pretty good." I gave them a pointed glance. "Seriously, it's not like it's going to kill you."

"Suzuki-san, you… you…" Tsuna's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. "That's poisoned!" He finally cried out. "You can die from that!"

I looked down doubtfully at the piece in my hands. It didn't taste all that different from any other mochi I'd had before. "Doesn't taste like it."

Ren grabbed my arm and guided the mochi to his mouth, taking a bite as well. He chewed slowly, not letting go of my arm. "It's pretty good," he admitted.

"I know, right?"

"…zzz… Neither… wins…" Reborn snorted in his sleep. "Both famiglia…owe…100 million yen…to the winners" What ridiculous thing was he saying now?

"Don't need it." I turned to Kyoko and Haru and gave them a thumbs up. "It was really good, you guys," I mouthed to them. "And, Ren? Do you mind letting go now?"

He held on a little longer before reluctantly releasing his hold on my arm.

"Kya! Kazumi-chan, you and your boyfriend look so cute together, desu!" Haru squealed, looking close to fainting. "It's like in my shoujo manga!"

Despite myself, I felt a little hot around my cheeks. "I-it's not what you think," I protested. Okay, maybe it was, but—

_Chu~_ The pressure on my cheek was unexpected, and I automatically froze, a smile frozen on my face.

"Thank you for the compliment, Miura-san." Ren grinned as he wrapped an arm around my waist. Talk about flirtatious—the kiss on the cheek shocked me into not moving. When had he gotten so open about flirting? (Somewhere in the back of my head, I immediately answered, "_Ciel_")

"Hahi! So intimate, desu!" Haru pushed her bag into my arms and ran away giggling. "I'll leave you two on your own, Kazumi-chan! See you soon!"

Kyoko walked up, giggling as well. Ryohei stood by protectively, though he wouldn't look me in the eye and I could see a hint of pink on his cheeks. "I hope the two of you have a long-lasting relationship," she insisted sincerely. "Onii-chan and I have to go back home, but it was wonderful to see you healthy again. I hope we meet again soon, Kazumi-chan, Ren-san."

Everyone else who had stayed behind, including the suave-looking Dino, shifted awkwardly on their feet. "I guess I'll be leaving now," Dino mumbled quickly. He bowed slightly. "I'd give a proper good-bye, but I suppose you already have one from your partner?" He smiled crookedly. "I'd rather not get in between something like that. But still, Happy New Years', you guys." And with a flick of his fingers, he and his followers walked away, looking cool in the meantime.

"I'll be leaving first," Bianchi drawled, gently picking up Reborn. Before she turned around, she caught my eye and gave me a look that obviously said, "Go get some." What? Who said that to a teenager?

Which left me with three blushing teenagers and two obliviously adorable children. Wonderful.

* * *

Though it was a bit awkward, I offered to walk home with Tsuna and the kids, since he'd have a hard time getting them to behave. Of course, Takeshi, Hayato, and Ren all decided to come along as well.

"Gyahaha! This guy looks like a broccoli-head!" Lambo cackled as he flipped through my album of disguises. He was referring to a warrior with subdued green hair and lime-green eyes. "And this lady looks like a lemon hag!" And this one was a blonde woman in a stylish outfit.

"Stay still, Lambo," I chided. I shifted a bit so that I could hold the two in my arms more comfortably. On the way home, Lambo had spotted the thick album and spent the time announcing that so-and-so looked like this sort of food-hag/head. At least it kept him occupied—as much as I enjoyed his antics, kids like him tended to take a lot of energy keeping in line.

"Ahaha, is that so?" Takeshi and Ren had taken the time to get to know one another a bit more, and I could safely say that they hit it off pretty well. Not that it was much of a surprise; both of them were easygoing and naturally carefree. "Then, next time you come around, you should come over the Takesushi! It's my old man's restaurant, and you won't find better sushi anywhere else!"

"I'll be sure to look into it." Ren looked so at ease around other people. I'd always wondered how he could stay comfortable—perhaps he was just born to be social. It made me a bit jealous, to be honest.

Out group finally stopped in front of "T-thank you for coming with us," Tsuna stammered as he bowed repeatedly in apology. "I'm sorry that you had to take the burden—"

"Do me a favor," I interrupted, placing I-Pin and Lambo on the steps, "and stop apologizing. It's my decision; I do what I want."

"O-o-okay."

"Well, if that's all, then I'll be taking my leave." I straightened my scarf before turning to Ren. "Are you coming?"

"Just wait a moment." He shared a friendly fist-bump with Tsuna and Takeshi and a cautious wave good-bye to Hayato before joining me on the way home. "They're entertaining people. I'm impressed you managed to come out of your shell."

I glanced at him out of the corner of my good eye. "Is that an insult I hear?"

His laugh floated through the air, making me smile in spite of myself. His fingers gently touched the back of my hand, asking an unspoken question. "You know, this reminds me of the ride on the London's Eye. We celebrated your birthday that day."

"New Year's, we celebrated New Year's," I corrected automatically.

He frowned, head tilting in that endearing way of his. "You've never explicitly enjoyed celebrating your birthday." His firm grip stopped me from walking forward. "And you've never told me why." His hazel brown eyes searched for mine behind my shades, earnestly asking for an explanation.

"Have you ever thought that some secrets are best left untold?" We'd stopped right outside the gate. I stood on tiptoe to press my lips against his for a brief moment and quietly tugged my hand out of his grip. "I'm sorry, but that's one thing I can't tell you."

And it was time for me to stop playing around. The more I spent time with these people, the more they were at risk. There was no way, after all this time, I'd let my resolve weaken. [3]

* * *

[1] A random fun fact: General Winter is not a real person, as you may or may not have guessed. The term comes from the military advantage the Russians have exploited time and time again to beat back their invading enemies. Napoleon and Hitler both were beaten back by General Winter and the scorched earth policy in their respective invasions of Russia.

It basically means that it's cold enough to turn you into a human popsicle

[2] Ren-kun and Ren are two entirely different characters.

[3] Kazumi tends to jump between sarcastic and immature and more serious and pessimistic, and the reason for that I hope to explain in a later chapter.


	14. Unexpected Visitors

**LOL a new chapter already?**

**Yes, I did tell you that I finished two chapters during my long period of no updates, right? Well, this monster should keep you occupied for... I dunno, fifteen minutes or so.**

**Spring break is this week, but it's not going to be as relaxing as I'd hoped it would be. AP tests are coming up in May, so I have to study for those. And I have this massive Spanish filming project, so it won't necessarily be easy finding time for the next chapter. But I'll do my best, I promise you that.**

**All right, I'm done with my traditional pre-chapter complaints. Hopefully, you'll enjoy this!**

**Bluosity, signing out.**

* * *

Chapter 14-Unexpected Visitors

The next two weeks, I avoided anyone and everyone. Even Kyoko and Haru. I didn't go out for anything much except for shopping and running, and even then I didn't go out as myself, and never out the front door. They must have assumed that I caught cold again, because they stopped coming by after the first few days of unsuccessfully trying to bring me outside.

Only Ren kept coming back, for some reason. Every day he stood outside my door and repeatedly rang the doorbell for ten minutes straight, as though any minute I'd come bursting out to scold him for bothering me. Even after going back to wherever he stayed at the moment, he called and texted throughout the night.

But even he got tired after a few days, and for one week, I was left on my own. Just me, myself, and the house.

And that was fine by me.

I was _fine_.

* * *

"Hey, _chico_! Haven't seen you in ages! How've you been?"

"Nice to see you too—"

"So? Did my advice score? Did she bite?"

"I-I—"

"Never mind, I can go see for myself. We're actually heading over right now!"

"Now?!"

"Why not? I'm sure she's dying to see some old faces again, right?"

"She's more likely to kill you for breaking in…"

"What?"

"Nothing."

* * *

I finally managed to narrow the search down to a ten-kilometer radius. She had to be somewhere in the forest-covered mountain just north of Namimori. There weren't any other possibilities—I'd thoroughly searched all possible places in the main urban area. Now I just needed to pinpoint where exactly someone would hide her.

_Scritch scratch. _There was a faint scraping sound coming from the hallway. Not loud, but enough that I could hear it.

It was coming from the front door. A robber trying to lock-pick his way in? Not in my house, he wasn't. I grabbed the ornamental katana (which wasn't ornamental at all) off the wall and slowly unsheathed it. If he managed to get in, he was going to realize that it wouldn't be an easy house to rob.

The scratching sounds slowed to a stop, and the lock turned with an audible _click_. I shifted my feet into a ready stance, ready to scare off the intruder.

The doorknob turned.

The door opened.

I lunged.

* * *

The three of them sat guiltily on the couch, looking like children caught stealing from the cookie jar.

"God damn it, Bel, you didn't have to scare me like that." The dark-haired young man in the middle complained.

I crossed my arms, giving him a pointed glare. "You tried to break into my house. You _know_ what I do to unexpected trespassers."

"But did you have to nearly stab my brain?"

"I was trying to scare you off, not kill you. You were never in any real danger. Now, tell me why you're here. Especially you two, Ciel, Sebastian."

The younger brother gingerly held the ice pack to his forehead, which he'd banged against the door frame when he instinctively tried to avoid the narrowly missed katana blade. "What, I can't visit a good friend and partner-in-crime?"

"No, not when I'm not told of it beforehand, and not when _she_'s watching you guys. It was strange enough that Ren settled here for so long after finishing his job as Ren-kun's double. Now with the three of you here, she's bound to be suspicious. Didn't you think before coming here?"

Ren looked indignant. "I _tried_! But you wouldn't answer your door or your phone, and there was no point telling you when they were already here and they wanted to visit you."

Oh, damn it all. I suppose I didn't have anybody to blame but myself. Not as though I had much else of a choice, but—

"It's all planned out, Bella," Sebastian reassured me in a low voice. "We went on leave on the pretense of Ciel's wanting to visit an anime convention. I came as a concerned older brother. And she doesn't know that Ren has finished his job. We're supposedly ten miles away from each other."

"And she suspects nothing?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

That was reassuring, coming from Sebastian. Had it come from Ren or Ciel, I'd have worried, but Sebastian was experienced enough that I could trust his judgment more.

"By the way, have you located where the real Mercy is?" Ciel asked, wincing when he accidentally applied too much pressure on his bump.

"Not exactly."

"What?! You have _my_ equipment and a year to search, and you still haven't found her? Tell me you're joking."

I bristled at Ciel's disbelieving tone. "I just turned of age less than a month ago. My hands have been effectively tied since then. The only thing I could do was patrol at night and watch the citizens, maybe put up a few surveillance cameras here and there. Without Mercy's permission, I couldn't exactly break and enter to install your cameras."

Ciel balanced the ice pack with one hand and reached into his backpack for his laptop with his other. Keeping the pack held against his red bump, he tapped a few keys on the keyboard. "You're right, the surveillance cameras and computer databases in all the houses in the area don't show any evidence of a person being held here. In fact, none of the computers anywhere in Namimori say anything about Mercy." His eyes softened in a more thoughtful stare, already absorbed by the glowing computer monitor screen.

"Then she's not here? But Bel, you said that the real Mercy was somewhere here in Namimori," Ren questioned.

The huge sigh just escaped from my mouth before I could hold it back. Sebastian and Ciel looked ready to roll, and I knew from experience that they didn't back down from a challenge easily. I suppose we all had that in common. It was either let them know what I had planned or let them rescue Mercy on their own, and I didn't like their chances without a decent fighter.

I took out a map of Namimori from the drawer under the coffee table. It was already marked in red and blue, representing the areas I'd checked and deemed as the wrong place. In the top part of the map, the entire area was covered in the green symbol that symbolized forestry. "This area here has been owned by the Hibari family since the early 1880's, though only one member of the family actually lives here in Namimori at the moment. Effectively, it's part of Namimori. It's officially open as a public hiking and camping area, but there are many rumors of it being home to dangerous mutations of animals and plants, so very few people visit, if ever. Those who do go usually never come back to tell the tale, so it's been nicknamed Death Mountain by the locals."

"But there's still the possibility that a Hibari will inspect the property grounds. Would someone who risked kidnapping Mercy really leave it to chance that nobody will notice a prison cell on what's technically private property?" Ren asked.

"Kyoya, the one living in Namimori, only patrols the urban areas, and he doesn't trust other people to take care of his family's property. There hasn't been an inspection in fifty years. It's highly unlikely that they'll start inspecting now. Whoever took Mercy knew it was an extremely low chance that anybody would suspect or become aware of someone being held there, especially if they used one of the abandoned public rest houses built there."

"When do you plan to make a move?"

I made a split-second decision. "Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?!" Ren squawked, but Ciel and Sebastian exchanged knowing looks.

"Somehow we knew you'd say that," Ciel sighed, a smirk already forming.

"We've already got a copter just outside of Namimori. I'm ready to fly it." Sebastian's eyes gleamed in anticipation.

"…Sometimes I'm a bit scared of how well you know me."

* * *

"…cameras are probably digital closed circuit, the highest quality money could buy. Motion-sensing, heat-seeking, night vision, the works. These guys would spare no expense if they went so far as to kidnap her of all people."

"True. And based on the map, this bunker here is probably the most likely place she's being held. The largest, the best range of vision, and the most isolated—it's enough for fifteen, maybe twenty guards, tops."

"Then we'll probably have to drop you off here, so they don't see you coming. An hour walk, perhaps, fifteen minutes more if you're unlucky and the natives out there decide they're hungry. I've made some modifications to a few items I've gained over the year. They'll be useful for this."

"…"

The day went by in a flurry of preparation. Ciel and Sebastian thought nothing of the heated hours of discussion and debate. Ren, on the other hand, saw just how excluded he had been from the true security program.

"Then everything's ready?" I asked one more time to check that everything was in order. The four of us sat in the copter, waiting for the engine to warm up.

"We'll keep the copter within a two-kilometer radius." Sebastian replied as he tugged a dark green cap over his black hair.

"That'll give me enough range to transmit information to you over the radio," Ciel added as he furiously made a few keystrokes on his laptop. He passed out to each of us a small bluetooth-like radio.

"Then we're ready to fly."

Nobody looked twice at the helicopter flying over the town. Helicopters were common enough, even in a quiet town like Namimori. During the ride, I equipped the weapons Sebastian had provided me. New items he'd been itching to try out, he'd said. That didn't really sound that reassuring, but there was little other choice I had.

Within minutes, we reached Death Mountain.

"There's only one rest house whose computers have been powered on at all over the last year." Ciel's voice crackled through the radio in my headphones—the helicopter blades were rotating too loudly for him to tell me directly. "You're going to have to jump, but it's just about a half-kilometer from here."

"Got it." I checked my equipment to make sure nothing was out of place. Sunglasses, check. Holster, in place. Arm sheathe—

A hand reached out and gently touched my arm. It was Ren. His hazel-brown eyes searched mine earnestly. His mouth moved, but I couldn't hear what he said over the chopping sounds of the rotating blades.

Still, I could understand what he wanted to say.

I too his hand and kissed the palm once, briefly. A silent promise to do my best to come back.

"Spare me the fluff," Ciel complained, pretending to vomit. I shot him a rude gesture.

And then I jumped.

The wind rushing through my hair was, despite the gravity of the situation, absolutely exhilarating. But the forest ground was coming towards me too quickly for me to enjoy the fall for long.

As quickly as possible, I pointed the gun towards the trees below and fired. A net burst out at a breakneck speed and its ends curled around the tree branches. I landed safely within its folds. It hurt from having such a speed broken so abruptly, but I could still move, and it was much less noticeable than a parachute.

One of Sebastian's newest inventions, the gun didn't shoot bullets, but a tightly compressed net that unfurled when fired. It was designed for stealthy infiltration. Not the most comfortable landing, but it was manageable. The only problem was, it needed a sufficiently large enough gap between trees so that the shooter wouldn't get pierced by tree branches. Well, at least it was less noticeable than parasailing.

I slid down a tree trunk, unsheathing a dagger from my arm sheath in the process. I didn't know exactly what sort of animals were here, and even the plants may try to kill me. It had happened before. The dagger was simple, designed for one day of use. Not the greatest quality, but one day was all I needed.

"Good luck, Bella." Ciel muttered through the radio. "You've got two hours. We'll start moving in at five."

"'Until then, sit tight,'" I finished, adjusting the earpiece to fit more comfortably and bringing the mic closer to my mouth. "I've got it."

A rustle in the bushes. A spider as large as Sebastian was tall leapt from the dark leaves, yellow fangs open wide in anticipation.

Ducking, I cut off all the legs on one side as it sailed over me, then stabbed it in the thorax deep enough to kill it quickly. It curled up on its back, the other half of legs slowly folding into themselves.

"What was that?"

The dagger came out of the corpse with a slow, wet "_schloop"_. "Nothing. Just some pest control."

* * *

Above, Sebastian steered the helicopter and headed west. Ren looked out over the green expanse below, watching as the different shades mixed into one giant shade. Ciel, in the meantime, continued to type away at his keyboard, muttering here and there.

Finally, Ren spoke into his mic. He couldn't talk to Bella directly, but he could communicate with Ciel, who was the only one allowed to direct information to her. "Will she be safe?"

Ciel looked up from the screen, blinking slowly. "Oh, that's right. She probably didn't explain herself that well to you when she talked about our group." He glanced back down at his laptop when a red dialogue window popped up. "This isn't the worst situation she's ever been in. She should be able to handle herself."

"But from what you were talking about earlier, it's still extremely dangerous, isn't it?" Ren persisted.

From the pilot's seat, Sebastian muttered something Ren couldn't hear over the hum of the rotating blades. Ciel responded with an offhanded wave of his hand. "Alright, alright. I'll explain better." He paused a bit. "There's a trip wire set up just five meters ahead, Bel. Dodge it or unarm it, your choice."

"Know what? I thought Bel told me everything about what we really do."

"Oh, I'm sure she did. But she hates talking about herself—_C__llate_, Bel, he deserves to know. Ren, you know that even though we don't have an official hierarchy, there is still a ranking, right?"

"I suppose so, yes. And what of it?"

"Well, there are three… categories, I suppose you could call them—captain, second-in-command, and regular. We three," Ciel motioned to the three of them, "are regulars. Nothing special, really. We just do our job, we get paid, we travel—the works. But the captain and the SIC, they do all the hard work. They find the potential criminals, track down their exact locations, and use our abilities to arrest them without anybody getting hurt."

"So what you're saying is…"

"What I'm saying is that Bel could whoop our asses in ten seconds total, and still have enough juice to participate in the MAT. And win it, to boot. That status isn't just for show—she's got the skill to back it up. Trust me."

"You're pulling my leg. I don't think Bel would ever fight for anything other than self-defense."

Ciel snorted. "Tell that to all the criminals she's ever taken down."

* * *

Meanwhile…

"Urg…" Tsuna groaned as he sat up, his head throbbing in pain.

"You okay, Tsuna?" Dino-san's concerned face swam briefly before Tsuna's vision turned back to normal.

"Y-yeah, somehow… Wait, where's Enzo?!" Tsuna looked around wildly, expecting the gargantuan turtle to pop out of nowhere and chomp his head off.

"Right here." Reborn poked Enzo, who had shrunken considerably to a more manageable size and was waving futilely to get onto his feet. "You're lucky that Enzo was on its back while you guys were unconscious. Otherwise—"

"Uwahh, I don't want to know!"

* * *

A few more spider ambushes and carnivorous plant attacks later, I could finally see the top of the rest house. There was only one like it. Positioned in the dead center of the mountains, it was larger and more well-protected than the others dotted throughout the trails. When the forest had been first open to the public, it had always been on high alert, in case somebody was stranded.

Big, protected, the most isolated. It was the most likely spot the kidnappers would put Mercy. Smack-dab in the center of the mountains, it was the farthest rest house from whatever direction one entered the mountains.

"There's a guard and two cameras just up ahead. You'll have to knock out the guard first to get past the cameras," Ciel warned.

"Simple enough." I reached down and grabbed a decently-sized rock. It was light enough to throw, but heavy enough to knock him out if struck in the right place. Taking careful aim, I shifted my weight forward and threw when the guard's head was turned away from me. It struck the base of his skull. The unsuspecting guard crumpled to the ground, immediately unconscious.

"Excellent. I didn't see what happened, but I'm sure it went well. Now, I have enough access in the system to fool the security. But it'll only work for twelve seconds until they figure out I've tapped into the programs. Think you can do it?"

100 meters. Twelve seconds. "A bit difficult, but I'll manage."

"Alright. Get ready. I'm starting in five, four, three, two, one… now!"

I pushed off my feet, sprinting towards the gap between the cameras as fast as I could.

Fifty meters…

Twenty meters…

"Five seconds!"

Ten meters…

Five meters…

"Got it!" I gasped as I crashed into the wall. My heart beat so hard I thought it'd burst out of my chest. I took a few seconds to regain my breath.

"Just in time. I've lost control of the visuals." Ciel sounded impressed, though I wasn't sure whether it was because of my speed or because of his difficulty gaining control of the security program. Probably the latter. "Now, go through the door. I've already gained control of the cameras inside. But tread carefully."

"Give me a second, will you?" I searched the unconscious body, taking his gun before tying him up and dragging him to a secluded area. Hopefully nobody would find him until I was long gone.

"Alright, get inside. There's a fork up ahead. Take the right path… The right one again… Then the left. She should be the only one in the room."

It was a large basement. The keys were just hanging on the hook right next to the door. I couldn't help but snort in disgust at the lax security here as I unlocked the door. "Mercy, are you there…?"

The room was lavishly decorated. The walls were painted a light tint of yellow. Many portraits and paintings hung around the room. An ornamental red rug with gold trimming. A large bookshelf in the far right corner. An oak desk in the dead center. In the posh black office chair sat the one I had been looking for for a whole year.

Mercy Blanc.

"Ah, Bella. How wonderful it is to see you again." She slowly rose from her chair, showing off the same clothes as she'd worn the day we were ambushed. A light blue gown with an emerald green necklace around her slender neck. It didn't look any dirtier than a year ago. She kept her white lace fan in front of her face as she talked. Her eyes were kept shut, as they'd always been. "It has been a year, _non_?"

She was safe.

I bowed low. Finally. _Finally_. She was right here in front of me. "Mercy," I murmured hoarsely.

"I'm afraid I cannot join you on your brilliant escapade, unfortunately." She held out a leg and lifted the skirt a bit, showing the undeniable leg chain clamped firmly around her ankle. "Unless you have the key to this unsightly accessory, I shall have to remain here."

Looking carefully at the chain on her leg, I spotted a blinking chip next to the keyhole. It couldn't be a tracking device—Mercy would have been kept tightly shut in this cell. That meant that it was probably an alert chip, in case Mercy somehow escaped. "Ciel," I murmured. "If I destroy this lock, how many minutes do I have until someone comes to investigate?"

"Three at worst." The reply was instant. "Seven at best, if you take the traditional hangover Sunday in consideration."

"Is that enough time?"

"Not even close. It took an hour to get here. It'll take another hour to get to you from where we are, even if we were to turn around now. It's a big forest out here."

"Damn," I cursed under my breath. "How many are stationed here?"

"There are twenty permanently assigned. Thankfully no extra personnel have been sent here in months." Ciel's voice gained a suspicious tone. "You aren't planning to get through all of them, do you? They'll kill you before you take a step outside!"

"You never know until you try."

There was a scuffle on the other end, followed by squawks of indignation. Unexpectedly, Ren's voice came through the radio. "You don't need to try for me to know that you won' t survive against twenty highly trained guards! Look, I know you're good, but you're not _that_ good!"

"…get _off_, _chico_!" Ciel grunted. "Sorry about that. Ren's not going to believe it until he sees it. He's seriously worried about your chances of survival."

"Fine, then, set off multiple alarms throughout the building. That'll divide up their numbers for a while. Will that make him happy?"

"But—"

I lost any patience I'd had then. "Don't argue, just _do_ it!"

"…Roger that." And on cue, the whole building shook with the force of the alarms that were set off throughout. At the same time, I smashed the hilt of my dagger against the chip. One more alarm of many—it was hardly going to be noticed in this chaos.

With a tiny _whirl_, the cuff unlocked, smoking at the open edges.

Immediately, I tossed Mercy over my shoulder. She was so small, it wasn't that hard to do it. "Sorry, Mercy, but I'm going to have to carry you. You aren't wearing the best running clothes at the moment."

Her arms tightened around my neck. "I do not object to that proposal. It is quite tiring to stand after so long."

"Guard!" Ciel warned.

"Weapons down!" The guard shouted, pointing his gun at my chest. He spoke Japanese in a sloppy accent.

Damn. "Thanks for giving me earlier warning," I remarked sarcastically, but my mind was racing, shuffling through different possibilities. He'd shoot before I could get into close combat, and throwing the dagger at his head would require too much movement; he'd kill me on the spot if I so much as twitched.

"They're fast, faster than I expected," Ciel muttered. "Probably as fast as you. You've got to get out, now."

Was there a way to distract him for a moment? What would throw off a highly trained professional? Obviously, seduction wouldn't work. I couldn't reach the smoke bombs in my back pocket without him noticing. Maybe talking it out? "_Let us through, bastardo_." Nope, I should _not_ have said that!

He jerked, clutching at his throat. At the same time, the posh decoration shimmered and dissolved, revealing the true conditions of the prison room. In that instant, I leapt forward and kicked at the back of his knees. He fell forward, frothing at the mouth. That was too extreme of a reaction. "…Mercy, was that your doing?"

"Mmm… Allow me to say that he merely felt a bit… lightheaded."

I shook my head, but accepted her not-so-cryptic response and instead focused on the now-unconscious guard. He had the gun clutched weakly in his grip. The jacket he wore was dark, large, and probably bulletproof, judging by the feel of it. He didn't have anything else of importance.

I took the jacket and wrapped it around Mercy, whose clothes were now not so clean. If anybody thought to shoot at us in the back, it'd protect her. I also replaced my dagger with the gun, which was still loaded. I tucked the dagger away in its sheath and snuck out undetected with Ciel's guidance. The other pistol was put safely away in my holster.

"We're out," I spoke through the mic.

"You have to make sure they don't follow you. We're getting there as fast as we can, but it'll still take thirty minutes. There's a clearing just a kilometer south of your position. We can meet up there."

"Got it." But how were we supposed to keep the guards from following? Even as I watched, I could see the guards through the windows. They must have gathered together by now and were preparing to come outside. "Any ideas, Mercy?"

"Just one." The ground beneath us rumbled, and humongous thorny vines burst out of the ground, sending dirt flying everywhere. They wrapped around the vacation home and squeezed tightly, trapping the screaming guards inside. Even the sturdy structure couldn't hold; it collapsed within seconds.

"…"

"Do not worry, Bella. They will merely be knocked out; the strength of the illusion should be enough to shock them into unconsciousness, but nothing more."

"I'm not worried," I snorted, turning away. "Keep that jacket on. You never know what other creature will try to eat us in this godforsaken mountain."

Well, we found out, sooner rather than later. There were five more spiders, two man-eating plants, and three aggressive, rabid squirrels the size of toddler cars. The guns I'd stolen from the guards earlier made quick work, but I quickly ran out of ammo, and the dagger was so dull by now that it was hard to effectively stab the spiders. I tossed the guns in some bushes whenever I ran out and kept the dagger in its sheathe, but stayed alert. I never knew when I'd need it.

"I do hope that rescue is in order soon."

"Soon, Mercy. Just a little longer."

There were no further monsters, which was quite unusual. It had been a while since the last creature tried to eat me, and I usually had little time until the next one came out to attack. I wonder why they hadn't attacked yet (not that I was complaining)?

But my question was answered when I heard people shouting in the clearing ahead. They sounded panicked. Why were there people here?

I cautiously came out of the clearing. Tsuna, Takeshi, Dino, Kyoko, Haru, Hayato, Bianchi, the kids… they were all there. "What are you doing here?"

Tsuna and Dino, each clutching one of Hayato's arms, turned.

"S-suzuki-san!"

"It's dangerous! Get away!"

Before I could ask why, the world exploded.


	15. Time to Strike

**Still have school...**

**Gah.**

**Sorry for the extremely late (and short) update. I've been having a bit of an aversion to writing since the last update, but I finally managed to sit down for a few hours and pull this out from my unwilling brain.**

**...It'd been so long I had to go back and reread some of the chapters. It's that bad.**

**But I'm hoping to get a bit more action in the next chapter (whenever that'll come out).**

**Anyways, SATs are over (for now), and I have about 9 school days left until I'm officially out. Yay?**

* * *

Chapter 15—Time to Strike

"It's a mountain fire!"

"We're surrounded!"

I felt a searing pain spreading throughout my body. The surrounding flames crackled with a vicious energy, giving off bursts of red and green light that I could see even through my shades. In the back of my mind, I vaguely registered the girls' screams and the boys' shouting. I could feel somebody trying to shake me into action.

But I couldn't do anything. My legs refused to move. The pressing shadow in my head continued to push against my consciousness.

"…lla…Bella…?"

No, it was no good. My eyes were closing against my will.

The last thing I remembered before I hit the ground was the burning sensation on my chest.

* * *

I opened my eyes to a vast clearing. There were no trees for miles around—the only plants I could see were the grass and weeds, clumped in small bunches here and there.

This was…

"How pathetic, to quail at the mere sight of flames. Did your father teach you nothing but cowardice?"

The harsh reprimand came from a familiar figure standing relaxed across the field. A young man in his early thirties, clad in heavy silver armor, expertly spinning the sword clutched in his right hand.

"…Romulus. I know this is your doing. What do you stand to gain from it?" I did my best not to let any emotion show through. Knowing from experience, he'd take any weakness and immediately take advantage. "You are not welcome now. Leave."

I could only register his lip curling before the butt of his sword rammed into my shoulder, sending me tumbling in the dirt. I gasped in pain, clutching my arm to keep it from swinging. He'd held back enough to prevent dislocation.

Just barely.

"I grant you some independence and you begin to overestimate your authority. Respect your elder, child." His eyes flashed dangerously as he pointed his sword at my face. "I did not give you permission to talk back to me."

"_Vai all'inferno_ [1]," I spat. I would not take orders from him just because of who he was. "As long as I live, I'll never accept your control."

"You _will_ step aside, girl."

I glared, my eyes meeting his, challenging him. My words came out in a defiant snarl. "Like hell I will."

"Is that so?" He grabbed my neck and forced my face into the ground. "But I still have some use of you. So. I will push you." He pushed my face even further into the bitter dirt, making it hard to breathe. "Again and again, until you surrender."

His grip on my neck tightened, forcing a choking gasp from my throat.

"Your life or your body, pathetic dog."

Damn it, I still had something to do left. I couldn't die here.

So what other choice did I have?

* * *

Reborn watched the chaos from above, having finally taken off his mole costume. He wasn't particularly worried about his loser student's safety. After all, if the future boss of the Vongola couldn't even handle an enormous aggressive turtle, then he wasn't fit to run one of the largest and most influential Famiglia in the world.

Not that he didn't believe in Tsuna's ability to survive. Even though the most rigorous and torturous experiences, Tsuna had always managed to scuttle out of the worst. By now, Rebsorn was 85% certain that his training regime wouldn't kill the child.

Well, 85% chance of survival wasn't so bad. Dino scraped by with 88%.

"You're not going to join them?"

Reborn didn't even flinch as he felt the tree branch bend under a heavy weight. "I'm beginning to think that you suffer from multiple personalities, Suzuki." He sensed that this Suzuki was different, just like that time with the laced vodka.

The Italian lazily tossed aside a dark gray object onto the shell of the fallen titan below. A radio transmitter, crushed beyond repair. "Call it what you will, _bambino_ [2]. The preferences of this world do not interest me." She leaned against the trunk of the tree, fingers tapping lightly against the bark.

"Then what would you call your relationship with your… 'host', other-Suzuki?" He was curious, about this different personality.

A flash of a wolfish grin. "Inheritance, young Arcobaleno." Leaning forward, the other-Suzuki assumed a more relaxed position. "I'm sure you, of all people, would understand my implication."

Reborn stiffened, his hand automatically reaching for the Leon-gun. "You know of the Incident?" Nobody but the Arcobaleno should have known about the disaster.

"I can make a simple deduction. Any person with the right qualities can sense that your physical condition is not natural."

That was impossible. Even he would not have sensed abnormality in his fellow peers, had he not been an Arcobaleno himself. Just who… "Who are you?" The curiosity was overpowering.

For a moment, Reborn glimpsed a flash of red behind those dark shades that hid Suzuki's eyes. "You may call me Romulus. Remember it, _bambino_."

* * *

"…For the hundredth time, Mama, I'm _fine._ Really. It was a bit shocking, but everyone managed to get away safely."

"Are you _sure_?" Mama persisted. "Reborn said that you were sent to the hospital after the fire."

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Reborn is sticking his nose into private business. I don't need to be hospitalized, I don't need treatment, and I don't need you to come here to Japan."

There was silence on the other end. Then, "To be shut away like this from you, and to receive all my information from Reborn… are you hiding something from us?"

"No." The denial came out a bit more forcefully than I had intended. "Look, I have to go, Mama."

"Kazumi…"

"I'll call you some other day." I ended the call, feeling suddenly exhausted. The rough edges of the hospital walls dug into some bruises, making me wince a bit.

"You are injured." Mercy emerged from the corner, her lacy fan attracting attention from the passerby outside the hospital. "Have you been fighting, even here?"

I didn't answer, knowing that both of us knew the answer to that question.

"Ah, as I expected. You will never change in that aspect, will you?" She daintily settled in a nearby bench, legs tucked politely to the side in a ladylike fashion.

I took a seat beside her, careful not to aggravate any injuries. "I'm as likely to stop as you are to show your face to the public."

"Then it is not very likely, is it?" She laughed lightly, her shoulders shaking in lighthearted humor.

"I suppose not." But I knew her well enough to know that she wasn't here to just catch up on old times. "So, what's your plan?"

She turned to watch the nurses scurry around the hospital garden. "It is about time I return to my position. Any longer than a year just will not do. However…"

"…the imposter," I finished. "Right."

"Yes, the imposter. If she remains in the United States, I am unable to overthrow her. Therefore, we must lure her to Japan. And I believe that Darren, Ciel, and Sebastian will prove enough threat for her to provoke a visit here."

"Then I'll bring them here." I pushed off the wall and headed back in the hospital. "They should be meeting with Tsuna, right?"

"One more thing, Bella."

I stopped, glancing curiously at her.

"I heard from Sebastian about the… unfortunate incident that caused you to flee school."

Ah, that.

I turned my eyes away. "I don't regret it. They were targeting him. I just did what I had to, to keep him safe."

"I understand. Without you, the four of us would be dead five times over. But I just wish that you would not need to soil your hands for us."

"…I do, too."

* * *

"So let me see if I understand what you're saying, _chica_." Ciel tapped his fingers against the table, dipping his fingertips into the droplets of water on the wooden surface. "You want me and _mi hermano_ to call _her_. You want us to 'let slip' that we met up with Ren. And you want us to openly go against her. Do I have it all right so far?"

The five of us were currently in Takesushi, where the bustling commotion masked our serious conversation. Actually, the four of them were discussing the plan seriously over dinner, while I waited at tables and occasionally tuned in to the meeting.

"That's right," I muttered as I passed by to hand dinner to a customer on the other side of the room.

"That's… you're being _loca_! Sebastian and I went out of our way to make sure _she_ wouldn't suspect us, and you want us to just tell her, 'Oh, we're trying to get you out of position. How's it going?' I'm not an expert on human psychology, but I'm pretty sure she won't like to hear that."

"Waitress-san!" A customer across the room called out. "We're ready to order."

"Yes, sir," I answered back, turning away from the conversation to continue work. When I got back, Mercy seemed to have sufficiently calmed Ciel down.

"Alright, I get it. But it's highly unlikely that she'll personally come down to Japan to deal with us. She might hire mercenaries, or the army."

Mercy and I exchanged glances. We knew exactly who she was going to send, if she took the bait. "Regardless," Mercy continued, "I would like to ask for your cooperation in this plan."

"…We're in." Sebastian rumbled. "My brother and I will help you return."

"Wonderful. And you, Darren?" Mercy turned inquiringly to Ren. "Are you willing to assist me in regaining my position?"

"Waitress-san, some water, please!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"I… don't know how much use I could be." Ren fiddled with his napkin before looking up. "But you've taken care of me since I came to school. I want to repay you however I can."

"Excellent. I truly appreciate that you all agreed to help me." Mercy slightly inclined her head in appreciation. "Then, I suppose we should catch up on old news. Shall we? Bella, we'd like to order now."

* * *

"Good work today, Kazumi!" Yamamoto-san clapped me heartily on the back. "Be careful on your way home, you hear?"

"Have a good evening, Yamamoto-san," I called behind me as I exited Takesushi. Outisde, the four others were waiting, having only just finished eating five minutes before. "What? Not going home?"

"Ah, the thing is…" Ren rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "I… We need a place to stay."

"…What."

"The boys had all checked out of their hotels this morning, expecting to return to the United States today in order to prevent suspicion." Mercy looked amused. "And I, having been released from the hospital just a few hours ago, also do not have a place to rest for the night."

Are. You. Kidding. Me. "Really?" It came out as a deadpan.

"Aw, come on, _chica_, it's not that bad!" Ciel wrapped an arm around my neck. "We just need a place to crash. Or else we won't be able to help Mercy. ¿_Comprendes_? [3]"

I pushed his arm away. "Fine, you can hang at my place. But if any of you sleepwalk or snore like last time, I'm kicking you out."

"Don't worry, we won't disturb your beauty sleep. _Gracias_, _chica_!"

Ugh. There went any chance of sleep tonight.

* * *

"I've only got one bed, so the rest of us will have to sleep on the floor in the living room."

Mercy, of course, insisted on the bed. "I am a lady who most definitely should not sleep in the same area as a male who is not my husband," she'd argued as she verbally kicked me off the bed. "I shall have to impose on your hospitality, dear Bella."

So, without my bed, I was forced to join the boys in the living room on one large bedsheet, the four of us each equipped with a thick blanket and pillow. And, despite the chill from the floor that still seeped through the thin bedsheet, I tried my best to sleep off the exhaustion accumulated from the events of the last few days.

Unfortunately, thirty minutes in, Ciel started fidgeting so badly I could hear him from the other side of the 'bed'. I tried throwing my pillow at his face, but he only snorted a bit and continued wiggling like a dog dreaming of chasing squirrels. And now I was without a pillow. Wonderful.

And then Sebastian started snoring. Not loudly, but it bothered me enough that I couldn't get comfortable easily. It'd be quiet for a moment, and then, a grating rumble so deep I swore I could feel the floor shake in response.

An hour later, just when I finally managed to ignore the snoring and fidgeting and was about to fall asleep, Ren, who had been sleeping next to me, turned and tugged me closer to him. I pushed him back, but he had a surprisingly strong grip, despite being asleep.

I felt uncomfortable, to say the least. With Ren's face just inches from mine, it was hard to breathe. I could feel a swirling nervousness pool in the pit of my stomach.

Needless to say, I didn't sleep at all that night.

* * *

Reborn sipped his espresso, watching the night sky twinkle with stars and satellites. Tsuna, Mama, and the rest of the house had already fallen deeply asleep. But he just couldn't bring himself to join them in the realm of dreams, not when there was a mystery to solve.

"_You may call me Romulus_." A male name—quite unusual, even for a split personality, if it was a split personality. But somehow he didn't think that Suzuki was suffering from a disorder.

And Romulus' strange choice of words… Inheritance? In the terms of the Underground, inheritance meant the passing of the title of boss from the old to the new generation. But Suzuki was not a Mafioso, so how did that apply to her?

Perhaps he'd have to dig into the past a bit.

* * *

[1] Go to hell. I'm not saying that to you readers, so don't take offense. But if you do, I'd recommend that you drop this series, because I'm not going to go easy on the cursing._  
_

[2] Child

[3] Do you understand?


End file.
